rted to Herbert's father, over the
telephone, that nothing had yet been heard of her son, the pressure of
those who were blaming the _Oriole_ more than they blamed Julia became
so wearing that Herbert decided he would rather spend the remaining days
of his life running away from Wallie Torbin than put in any more of such
a dog's evening as he _was_ putting in. Thus he defined it.

He made a confession; that is to say, it was a proclamation. He
proclaimed his innocence. He began history with a description of events
distinctly subsequent to Sunday pastimes with Patty Fairchild, and
explained how he and Henry had felt that their parents would not always
be with them, and as their parents wished them to be polite, they had
resolved to be polite to Florence. Proceeding, he related in detail her
whole journalistic exploit.

Of the matter in hand he told the perfect and absolute truth--and was
immediately refuted, confuted, and demonstrated to be a false witness by
Aunt Fanny, Aunt Carrie, and Cousin Virginia, who had all heard him
vehemently declare, no longer ago than the preceding Sunday evening,
that he and his partner had taken secure measures to prevent Florence
from ever again setting foot within the Newspaper Building. In addition,
he was quite showered with definitions; and these, though so various,
all sought to phrase but the one subject: his conduct in seeking to drag
Florence into the mire, when she was absent and could not defend
herself. Poor Florence would answer later in the evening, he was told
severely; and though her cause was thus championed against the slander,
it is true that some of her defenders felt stirrings of curiosity in
regard to Florence. In fact, there was getting to be something almost
like a cloud upon her reputation. There were several things for her to
explain;--among them, her taking it upon herself to see that Noble
received a copy of the _Oriole_, and also her sudden departure from home
and rather odd protraction of absence therefrom. It was not thought she
was in good company. Uncle Joseph had telephoned from a suburb that they
were dining at a farmhouse and would thence descend to the general
region of the movies.

"_Nobody_ knows what that man'll do, when he decides to!" Aunt Carrie
said nervously. "Letting the poor child stay up so late! She ought to be
in bed this minute, even if it is Saturday night! Or else she ought to
be here to listen to her own bad little cousin trying to pu