one else, and he stepped in front of her to get rid
of his friend with the fewest words possible. But Marian so disposed
herself at his elbow that he could not without awkwardness refuse her.

She murmured Allen's name cordially, leveling her eyes at him smilingly.

"I've often heard Mr. Harwood speak of you, Mr. Thatcher! He has a great
way of speaking of his friends!"

Allen was not a forthputting person, and Dan's manner was not
encouraging; but the trio remained together necessarily through the
aisle to the foyer.

Marian took advantage of their slow exit to discuss the play and with
entire sophistication, expressing astonishment that Allen was lukewarm
in his praise of it. He could not agree with her that the leading woman
was beautiful, but she laughed when he remarked, with his droll
intonation, that the star reminded him of a dressed-up mannikin in a
clothing-store window.

"That is just the kind of thing I imagined you would say. My aunt, Mrs.
Owen, says that you always say something different."

"Oh, Aunt Sally! She's the grandest of women. I wish she were my aunt. I
have aunts I could trade for her."

At the door Allen paused. Marian, running on blithely, gave him no
opportunity to make his adieux.

"Oh, aren't you going our way?" she demanded, in a tone of invitation.

"Yes; come along; it's only a step to the hotel where Miss Bassett is
staying," said Harwood, finding that they blocked the entrance and not
seeing his way to abandoning Allen on the spot. He never escaped the
appeal that lay in Allen; he was not the sort of fellow one would wound;
and there could be no great harm in allowing him to walk a few blocks
with Marian Bassett, who had so managed the situation as to make his
elimination difficult. It was a cold, clear night and they walked
briskly to the Whitcomb. When they reached the hotel, Dan, who had left
the conversation to Marian and Allen, breathed a sigh that his
responsibility was at an end. He and Allen would have a walk and talk
together, or they might go up to the Boordman Building for the long
lounging parleys in which Allen delighted and which Dan himself enjoyed.
But Dan had not fully gauged the measure of Marian's daring.

"Won't you please wait a minute, Mr. Harwood, until I see if poor mama
needs anything. You know we all rely on you so. I'll be back in just a
moment."

"So that's Morton Bassett's daughter," observed Allen when Marian had
fluttered into the elevator.