ting, pulling and readjusting. Within three minutes she
slipped her hand through the arm of a quiet scholarly looking gentleman
and together they paced sedately into the _patio_.

Howard jumped up from a bench and dragged forward his friend John Carr,
introducing him to his new friends. And in employing the word friend
and repeating it, he spoke it as though he meant it. Here was a
characteristic of the man; he was ready from dawn until dark to put out
his big square hand to the world and bring the world home to his home
for supper and bed and all that both connote.

But Helen's interest, at least for the flitting moment, was less for
him than for his friend; Howard she had known since dawn, hence hers
had been ample time to assign him his proper place in her human
catalogue. Now she turned her level eyes upon the new man.
Immediately she knew that if Alan Howard were an interesting type, then
no less so, though in his own way, was John Carr. A bigger man, though
not so tall; an older man by something like half a dozen years, but
still young in the eyes and about the clean-shaven mouth; a man with
clear, unwinking bluish-grey eyes and a fine head carried erect upon a
massive brown throat. Carr was dressed well in a loose serge suit; he
wore high-topped tan boots; his soft shirt was of good silk; his
personality exuded both means and importance. He glanced at Longstreet
and looked twice or three times as long at Longstreet's daughter.
Helen was quite used to that, and it was for no particular reason that
she felt her colour heighten a little. She slipped her hand through
her father's arm again and they went in to supper. Howard, having
indicated the way, clapped Carr upon the thick shoulders and the two
friends brought up the rear.

Helen was still wondering where was the second guest; Angela had
distinctly mentioned Juan Carr and another she termed El Joven. Yet as
they passed from the _patio_ into the big cool dining-room with its
white cloth and plain service and stiff chairs, she saw no one here.
Nor did she find any answer in the number of places set, but rather a
confused wonder; the table was the length of the long room, and, at
least in so far as number of plates went, suggested a banquet.

Howard drew out chairs at one end of the table so that the four sat
together.

'The boys will be rolling in for supper in half an hour,' he explained.
'But you folks are hungry and will want to get to bed early,