h arms
intertwined.

"I am sorry, _so_ sorry," cried Koltsoff, as he climbed into the car.
"As I say, I shall possibly not return all night. At all events, _au
revoir_." He turned to Anne and half raised his arm. "The trust," he
said. She nodded and smiled.

"Have no fear, Prince Koltsoff," she said.

"Good!" He glared toward Armitage. "To town--and fast," he said.

As Armitage nodded, Anne, whose mood was past praying for, called
mischievously:

"McCall, always touch your hat when you receive an order. And come right
back, please; I shall want to go to town."

This time Armitage made a faultless salute.

When they had gone, Anne walked to a settee, drawing Mrs. Van Valkenberg
by the arm, and flung herself down, laughing hysterically.

"Why, what _is_ the matter, Anne?" Sara gazed at her in amazement. "Has
anything--" she paused significantly--"happened?"

Anne drew her handkerchief across her eyes.

"No," she said, "not yet. But oh, Sara, if you had n't--" She stopped
and gazed at her friend wide-eyed. "Sara," she said, "is it possible I
love Prince Koltsoff?"

"No, it is not," replied Sara, decidedly. "Anne, don't be a goose. What
is it, tell me?"

"I cannot; but yes, I think it is--it must be. Oh, I wonder!"

"Anne!"

"Sara, for goodness' sake, let me alone a moment. Come," she added,
throwing her arm about the young matron's waist, "let's talk about other
things now. Come with me while I telephone and call off that stupid
theatre party. Then we 'll go to town, exchange the tickets, and
then--Sara, let's have a regular bat--alone. You know--one of our old
ones. I dare you."

"Done," said Mrs. Van Valkenberg, thankful to change the girl's mood.

While Anne was telephoning and offering various explanations to various
persons, Sara sat thinking. It had not taken her ten minutes to decide
that she detested Koltsoff and that Anne was under a spell not easily to
be broken. If Armitage had tried to break it, if he were there for that
purpose, he had failed a long way of success. He had chosen, in any
event, a poor method of campaigning. If he did not know what was good
for him, so much the worse. She did and accordingly when Anne had
finished with the last of her list of prospective guests, she said:

"Anne, I have fallen quite in love with your new chauffeur."

"I don't blame you one bit," said Anne carelessly. "He's a stunner. But
I don't believe he 's a chauffeur by profe