new. I've never seen it used before. I think you should be
congratulated, Mr. McVickar. It's a gift to be able to originate!"

Even Billy regarded Sue with admiration, but a knock at the door
prevented further discussion.

"Pardon me," Billy said to Mrs. White on the way to open the door.
"Surprising how many interruptions a fellow has in a place like this."

On the threshold stood a young man, groomed within an inch of his life;
hair faultless; shoes immaculate; tie and scarf pin elaborate.

"Oh, a thousand pardons, Hemphill. Didn't dream you were entertaining.
Just looking for a book--Calculus. Haven't seen it knocking about, have
you? Fancied I left it here last night. No--No! Couldn't think of
stopping. Oh, if you feel that way, old chap--"

Billy, by this time, had got the intruder inside the room and was
presenting him to the guests. Mr. Williams looked about with apparent
embarrassment and took a seat by Blue Bonnet.

"Fear I'm intruding. Awful bore--fellows running in like this. Didn't
dream Hemphill was entertaining. From Boston, I presume, Miss--beg
pardon, didn't quite catch the name."

"Ashe," Blue Bonnet said, casting a rather amused glance at the young
man's elaborate afternoon toilet.

"Miss Ashe. Not the Ashes of Beacon Street? They're relatives of
mine--distant, of course."

"No. I'm from Texas."

"Texas! You're rather a long way from home, aren't you? Texas seems
farther away to me than Paris. Great country that--Texas. Lots of cattle
and Indians and--"

"I don't know about Indians. We have cattle--lots! And cowboys. Maybe
you're thinking of cowboys?"

But cowboys were farthest from Mr. Williams' mind. Translated his
thoughts ran something like this: "Mighty pretty girl, blooming as a
rose. Wonder how many of us the chaperon's going to stand for. Plague
take it, why didn't Stuart give me a show--needn't have tread on my
heels this way."

But Stuart, at the door, stopping only a half moment for a lost
overcoat--so he said--was being presented to the ladies. And in
Stuart's wake came others. It was amazing how many things had been lost
oh the campus; or in Billy Hemphill and Hammie McVickar's rooms.

Mrs. White began to feel nervous. She was in a quandary. She could
hardly take her charges away before tea, neither could she ask the young
men to leave. She finally decided to settle down comfortably and close
her eyes to any irregularities. After all there could be no real harm.

With t