call for her in about an
hour."

Say, then was no time for wastin' fleetin' moments on any bluff. "Say,
Marjorie," says I, "couldn't you get her to speed up the toilet motions
a bit and shoo her downstairs? Don't say who; but just hint that
someone wants to see her mighty special for a few moments. There's a
good girl!"

Marjorie giggles and shows her dimples. "I might try," says she.
"Suppose you wait in the library, where there's a nice log fire."

So it's me for an easy chair in the corner, where I can watch for the
entrance. Five minutes by the clock on the mantel, and nothing
happens. Ten minutes, and no Vee. Then I hears a smothered snicker
off to the left. I'd got my face all set for the cheerful greetin'
too, when I discovers two pairs of brown eyes inspectin' me roguish,
through the parted portieres. And neither pair was any I'd ever seen
before.

"Huh!" thinks I. "Nice way to treat guests!" and I pretends not to
notice. I've picked up a magazine and am readin' the pictures
industrious, when there's more snickers. I scowls, fidgets around
some, and fin'lly takes another glance. The brown eyes are twinklin'
mischievous, all four of 'em.

"Well," says I, "what's the joke? Shoot it!"

At that into the room bounces a couple of girls, somewhere around ten
and twelve, I should judge; tall, long-legged kids, but cute lookin',
and genuine live wires, from their toes up. They're fairly wigglin'
with some kind of excitement.

"We know who you are!" singsongs one, pointin' the accusin' finger.

"You're Torchy!" says the other.

"Then I'm discovered," says I. "How'd you dope it out?"

"By your hair!" comes in chorus, and then they goes to a panicky clinch
and giggles down each other's necks.

"Hey, cut out the comic relief," says I, "and give me a turn. Which
one of you is Peggy?"

"Why, who told you that?" demands the one with the red ribbon.

"Oh, I'm some guesser myself," says I. "It's you."

"Pooh! I bet it was Uncle Ferdinand," says she.

"Good sleuth work!" says I. "He's the guy. But I didn't know he had
such a cunnin' set of nieces. Most as tall as he is, ain't you, Peggy?"

But that don't happen to be the line of dialogue they're burnin' to
follow out. Exchangin' a look, they advance mysterious until there's
one on each side of me, and then Peggy whispers dramatic:

"You came to see Miss Vee, didn't you?"

"Vee?" says I, lookin' puzzled. "Vee which?"

"Oh, you know,