was familiar.

"Why!" he faltered, "isn't this--"

"This is Mr. Holway, Daddy. I wanted you to meet him."

Her tone was quite serious, but there was an odd expression in her eye.
Mr. Holway, blond, immaculate and blase, bowed. Then he, too, started.

"Eh!" he exclaimed. "Why, by Jove!"

Captain Dan nodded. "Yes," he observed, quietly. "Well, I'm much obliged
to you, Gertie, but Mr. Holway and I have met before."

Gertrude's surprise, real or assumed, was great.

"Have you?" she cried. "Why, how odd! When?"

Mr. Holway, himself, answered. He seemed confused and his explanation
was hurriedly given.

"Your father and I met one afternoon at--at the Palatine," he stammered.
"I--I should have known. Tacks told me, but--but I had forgotten. I'm
ashamed of my part in that, Mr. Dott. I really am. I owe you an apology.
I hope you--I hope--"

Captain Dan nodded. "All right," he said briefly. "Don't say any more
about it."

"But--but I hope you and Miss Dott won't--won't think--"

"We won't. I won't, anyway. I stopped thinking about it long ago. Well,
Gertie, what have you been doin'? 'Most time to go home, is it?"

"Time to go home? Why, Daddy, we've just got here. We haven't been here
an hour yet."

"Haven't we? I want to know! Seemed a good deal longer than that to me.
All right, don't you worry about me. I can stand it, I guess. Where's
your mother and--and Cousin Percy?"

"Mother is in the next room with Mrs. Lake and some more of the Chapter
members. Cousin Percy is--Oh, here he comes now."

Hungerford appeared, strolling in their direction. He seemed surprised
when he saw his relatives in company with Mr. Holway.

"Hello, Monty!" he said. "You here? How are you?"

The two young men shook hands. Gertrude smiled upon them both.

"Father and Mr. Holway were renewing acquaintanceship," she observed,
cheerfully. "It seems that they have met before."

Cousin Percy's acknowledgment of this statement was a brief "Oh,
indeed!" He and his friend exchanged glances.

"The--er--performance is about to begin, I believe," announced Mr.
Hungerford. "Our hostess has--er--reluctantly consented to be led to the
piano. Shall you and I adjourn to the next room, Cousin?"

Gertrude shook her head.

"Oh, thank you," she said, "but Mr. Holway has been telling me the most
interesting stories about Scarford and the people in it, and I want to
hear the rest. He is dreadfully sarcastic; I should not listen, I know,
but I wa