ssium into his Cup of Joy.

"Oh, Adele!" said the Friend, just like that. "Oh, Adele, may I speak
to you for a Mo-munt?"

Ferdinand made his Exit, much peeved, and the Friend expressed a Hope
that she had arrived in time to throw the Switch and avert the
Wrecking of a Life.

Far be it from her to Snitch, but it was her Duty to put Adele wise to
what every one was whispering Under Cover.

She had no absolute Proof that he had carried on with a Front Row
Floss in New Haven, but it was Common Talk that one of his Uncles had
been a Regular at a Retreat where the Doctor shoots a Precious Metal
into the Arm.

It would be terrible to marry someone and then find out that he Drank,
the same as all the other Married Men.

Leaving Adele in a Deep Swoon, the true Friend hurried to the nearest
Public 'Phone to spread the dismal Tidings.

In the meantime the elated Lover had loped all the way to the
University Club to spring it on the Navajos and receive their
Felicitations.

His Rapture had rendered him fairly incoherent, and he was gurgling
like an after-dinner Percolator; but he finally made it evident that
he had been Hooked.

A deep Silence ensued, most of those present looking out the Window at
the passing Traffic.

Finally a Shell-Back, who had been leading a Life of Single Torment
ever since Sumter was fired upon, asked in a sepulchral Tone and
without looking up from his Hand, "Has the Date been set?"

Ferdinand tried to tell them that he was going to the Altar and not to
the Electric Chair, but he couldn't get a single Slap on the Back.

The only one evincing Interest was a He-Hen named Herbert, who took
him into the Cloak-Room to plant a few Canadian Thistles in the Garden
of Love.

Herb said he had always liked the Girl, even if she had given a couple
of his Best Pals the Whillykathrow.

His Advice was to up and marry her before she had time to pull one of
her temperamental Stunts and hand out the Rinkaboo.

Possibly if she could be weaned away from her eccentric Relations and
governed with a Firm Hand she would turn out O.K.

Still, it was a tall Gamble. Under the Circumstances, he didn't see
that there was anything for Ferdinand to do except mop up a few Drinks
and hope for the Best.

When Ferdy looked at himself in the Mirror at Midnight, he didn't know
whether he was Engaged or merely operating under a Suspended Sentence.

Next morning he had to bare his Soul to the Head of the Firm. This
reve