e they just said it was reserve. We all thought----"

A footstep in the hall outside arrested her recital. The door of the
room was opened, and a handsome bonneted head appeared in the aperture.

"Oh, Gen," said this apparition, hastily--"excuse me; I didn't know you
had your company in there?"

"Come in, mommer," said Miss. Ryan, politely; "I want to make you
acquainted with Mr. Faraday. He's the gentleman I met at Madame
Delmonti's the other evening."

Mrs. Ryan, accompanied by a rich rustling of silk, pushed open the door,
revealing herself to Faraday's admiring eyes as a fine-looking woman,
fresh in tint, still young, of a stately figure and imposing presence.
She was admirably dressed in a walking costume of dark green, and wore a
little black jet bonnet on her slightly waved bright brown hair. She met
the visitor with an extended hand and a frank smile of open pleasure.

"Genevieve spoke to me of you, Mr. Faraday," she said, settling down
into a chair and removing her gloves. "I'm very glad you managed to get
around here."

Faraday expressed his joy at having been able to accomplish the visit.

"We don't have so many agreeable gentlemen callers," said Mrs. Ryan,
"that we can afford to overlook a new one. If you've been in society,
you've perhaps noticed, Mr. Faraday, that gentlemen are somewhat
scarce."

Faraday said he had not been in society, therefore had not observed the
deficiency. Mrs. Ryan, barely allowing him time to complete his
sentence, continued, vivaciously:

"Well, Mr. Faraday, you'll see it later. We entertainers don't know what
we are going to do for the lack of gentlemen. When we give parties we
ask the young gentlemen, and they all come; but they won't dance, they
won't talk, they won't do anything but eat and drink and they never
think of paying their party calls. It's disgraceful, Mr. Faraday," said
Mrs. Ryan, smiling brightly--"disgraceful!"

Faraday said he had heard that in the East the hostess made the same
complaint. Mrs. Ryan, with brilliant fixed eyes, gave him a
breathing-space to reply in, and then started off again, with a
confirmatory nod of her head:

"Precisely, Mr. Faraday--just the case here. At Genevieve's debut
party--an elegant affair--Mrs. Peck said she'd never seen a finer
entertainment in this city--canvas floors, four musicians, champagne
flowing like water. My husband, Mr. Faraday believes in giving the best
at his entertainments; there's not a mean bone in B