d. So I sizes him up rapid
and makes the first play that comes into my head.

"You're a wonder, Skeet," says I. "And it's a great game as long as you
can get away with it. But whisper!" Here I glances around cautious. "You
know I'm a friend of yours."

"Oh, sure," says he careless. "What then?"

"Only this," says I. "Here's once when I'm afraid you're about to pull
down trouble."

"How's that?" says he, twistin' his neck uneasy.

"Notice the two gents I was just talkin' with," I goes on, "specially
the savage-lookin' one with the framed lamps? Well, that was Hubby.
He's got one of these hair-trigger dispositions too."

"Pooh!" says Skeet. But he's listenin' close.

"I'm only tellin' you," says I. "Then the big one with the wide
shoulders--that's Brother. Reg'lar brute, he is, and a temper----"

That gets him stary eyed. "You--you don't mean," says he, "that----"

"Uh-huh!" says I. "You know you and the young lady was some conspicuous.
There's been talk all round the room. They've both heard, and they're
beefin' something awful. Course I ain't sayin' they'll spring any
gunplay right in the house; but--why, what's wrong, Skeet?"

Honest, he's gone putty faced and panicky. He begins pawin' around for
his overcoat.

"Ain't goin' so soon, are you," says I, "without breakin' a few more
hearts?"

"I--I'm goin' to get out of here!" says he, his teeth chattery. He'd
grabbed his silk lid and was makin' a dash for the front door when I
stopped him.

"Not that way, for the love of soup!" says I. "They'll be layin' for you
there. Why not bluff it out and cut up with some of the other queens?"

"I'm not feeling well," says he. "I--I'm going, I tell you!"

"If you insist, then," says I, "perhaps I can sneak you out. Here, this
way. Now slide in behind that portiere until I find one of the maids.
Oh, here's one now. S-s-s-t! That you, Maggie? Well, smuggle Mr. Keyser
out the back way, will you? And if you don't want to witness bloodshed,
do it quick!"

I tipped her the wink over his shoulder, and the last glimpse I had of
Skeet he was bein' hustled and shoved towards the back way by willin'
hands.

By the time I gets back into the ballroom I finds Marjorie right in the
midst of a fam'ly court martial. She's makin' a full confession.

"Of course I hired him," she's sayin' to Brother Robert. "Why? Because
I've been a wall flower at too many dances, and I'm tired of it. No, I
don't know who he is, I'm sure; but he's