de beginning to show!"

Down upon the distant plain, across which lay the winding road out from
the city, one could discern a trail of light--thrown by many
searchlights--and make out its rapid advance. The sight moved Mrs.
Boswell instantly to action again.

"I must get back to the kitchen!" she cried, and vanished from the
balcony.

"If you could only see the Inn from outside!" Sue called after her, but
uselessly. Mrs. Boswell felt that the entire success of the "boom"
depended upon the kitchen. They might string lanterns from Boswell's to
Jericho, but if the supper shouldn't be good--the thought sent her down
the back stairs at a speed reckless for one of her years. But she
reached the bottom safely, or this story would never have been told.

The first cars in the procession came up the steep road with open
cut-outs. The bigger cars made nothing of it; the smaller ones got into
their low gears and ground a bit as they pulled. In fifteen minutes from
the first arrival, the wide plateau upon which the Inn stood looked like
an immense garage, cars of every description having been packed in
together at all angles. Up the Inn steps flowed a steady stream of
people: men in driving attire and motor caps; women in long coats and
floating veils, under which showed pretty summer frocks; a few children,
dressed like their elders in motoring rig, their faces eager with
interest in everything. In the hall, behind a screen of flags and
evergreen, the orchestra played merrily. It presently had to play its
loudest to be heard above the chorus of voices.

In less time than it takes to tell, every table in the airy dining-room,
lit by more Chinese lanterns and hung with streamers of bunting, was
filled. Reservations had been made by mail and telephone for the past
three days, and with a list in his hand Tom hurried about. He could
never have kept his head if it had not been for young Haskins at his
elbow. Haskins was secretary of the Mercury Club and knew everybody. He
was a genial fellow, and if anybody attempted to tell Tom that a mistake
had been made, and certain reservations should have been for the first
or second table, instead of the third, Haskins would cut in with a joke
and have the murmurer appeased and laughing in a trice.

As for Perkins--but where was Perkins? Up to the last minute before the
first car arrived, Perkins had been in evidence enough--in fact, he had
been everywhere all day, personally supervising eve