and with that she fishes up the end of
a little gold neck chain from under some lace--and hanged if there
ain't the ring!

"Vee!" says I, sort of tingly all over as I gazes at her. "Say, you're
a corker, though! Why, I thought sure you'd----"

"Silly boy!" says she. "I'll just have to pay you for that. You will
think horrid things of me, will you? There!"

She does things in a flash when she cuts loose too. Next I knew she
has her fingers in what Eulalia calls my crimson crest and is rumplin'
up all them curls I'd been so careful to slick back. I grabbed her
wrists, and it was more or less of a rough-house scene we was indulgin'
in, when all of a sudden the draperies are brushed back, and in stalks
Aunty, with Cousin Eulalia trailin' behind.

"Ver-ona!" Talk about havin' a pitcher of cracked ice slipped down
your back! Say, there was more chills in that one word than ever blew
down from Medicine Hat. "What," goes on Aunty, "does this mean?"

"It--it's a new game," says I, grinnin' foolish.

"As old as Satan, I should say!" raps out Aunty.

"Why," squeals Cousin Eulalia gushy, "here is our Unknown Knight, the
first to come back with his tribute! Let's see, what was it you said
you were going to do? Oh, I know--take a chance on something fresh,
wasn't it? Well?"

"Ye-e-es," says I. "And I guess I did."

"Trust him for that!" snorts Aunty. "Young man, at our last interview
I thought I made it quite clear that I should not expect you to return?"

"That's right," says I, edgin' around her towards the door. "And you
wa'n't, was you?"

Some glance she shot over; but it didn't prove fatal. And as I rides
down I couldn't help swappin' a wink with the elevator boy.

"Feelin' frisky, eh?" says he. "So was them other young guys. One of
'em tipped me a half."

"That kind would," says I. "They're comin' back. I'm escapin'."

But, say, who do you guess wins out for Wednesday night? Ah, rattle
'em again! Eulalia fixed it up. Said it was Vee's decision, and she
was bound to stick by the rules of the game, even if they did have to
throw a bluff to Aunty. Uh-huh! I've got three orchestra seats right
in my pocket, and a table engaged for supper afterwards. Oh, I don't
know. Eulalia ain't so batty, after all.

CHAPTER II

PULLING A SLEUTH STUNT

Trust Piddie for workin' up wild suspicions. Say, he can't find a
stray sheet of scribblin' paper on the floor without pouncin' sleuthy
on i