n in the city two days: goes to-morrow."

"How interesting, Red! Where do you give it? At one of the clubs or
hotels in town?"

"That's the usual thing, of course. That's why I'm not going to do it.
Grant's a rugged sort of commonsense chap--hates show and fuss. He gets
an overpowering lot of being 'entertained' in precisely the conventional
style. He's a pretty big gun now, and he can't escape. When I told him
I was going to have him out for a plain dinner at home he looked as
relieved as if I'd offered him a reprieve for some sentence."

"Undoubtedly he'll enjoy the relaxation. Hut you'll have a caterer out
from town, I suppose?"

"Not on your life. Cynthia can cook well enough for me, and I know
Ronald Grant's tastes like a book. But what I want to ask is that
you and Martha Macauley will come over and see that the table looks
shipshape. Cynthia's a captain of the kitchen, but her ideas of table
decoration are a trifle too original even for me. Miss Mathewson's away
on her vacation. I'll send in some flowers. My silver and china are
nothing remarkable, bur as long as the food's right that doesn't
matter."

"I shall be delighted to do it for you, Red, as you know. So will
Martha. We--"

"Thanks immensely. I want Ches of course, and Jim Macauley's coming. The
rest are M, D.'s. I must be off."

He would have been off, without doubt, in an instant more, for he was
half out of the door as he spoke, but Winifred Chester flew after him
and laid an insistent hand on his coat sleeve.

"Red! You must stop long enough to tell me something about it. How can I
help you unless I know your plans? What hour have you set? How many
are coming, and who? How many courses are you going to have? Have you
engaged a waitress?"

Red Pepper looked bewildered. "Is there all that to it?" he inquired
helplessly. "How in thunder--I beg your pardon--how do I know how many
courses there'll be? Ask Cynthia that. The hour's seven-thirty; can't
get around earlier, even if I wanted to be less formal. There's Van Horn
and Buller and Fields and Grayson and Grant and Ches and Jim and--and
myself. I may have asked somebody else, seems as if did but I can't
remember. You'd better put on an extra plate in case I have."

He was starting off again, but Winifred, laughing helplessly, again
detained him. "Red, you're too absurd! What about the waitress? Shall I
find one for you?"

"I supposed Cynthia could serve us; she always does me."

"She can