and he waves toward the
limousine.

It's the first time too that I ever saw Aunty stunned for more than a
second or two at a stretch. She acts sort of dazed as he leads her out
to the car and helps stow Vee and me and the bundles before gettin' in
himself. Only when we pulls up in front of the studio buildin' does she
come to. She revives enough to tell Wiggins all about this noble young
Belgian sculptor and his wonderful work.

"Sculpture!" says Wiggins. "I'd like to see it."

And inside of three minutes Woodruff T. Wiggins, the chain grocery
magnate, is right where we'd been schemin' to get him. He inspects the
various groups of plaster stuff ranged around the studio, squintin' at
'em critical like he was a judge of such junk, and now and then he makes
notes on the back of an envelope.

Meanwhile Aunty explains all about the tea, namin' over some of the
swell dowagers that was goin' to act as patronesses, and invites him
cordial to drop around on the big day.

"Thanks," says he; "but I guess I'd better not. I'm still from the wrong
end of the town, you know. But here's a memorandum of four pieces I
should like done in bronze for my country house. And suppose I leave Mr.
Djickyns a check for five thousand on account. Will that do?"

Would it? Say, Aunty almost pats him fond on the cheek as she follows
him to the door.

Must have been something romantic about that bonfire episode back in
Cooperstown too; for she mellows up a lot durin' the next few minutes,
and when I fin'lly calls a taxi and tucks 'em all in she comes near
beamin' on me.

"Remember, young man," says she, "promptly at five on Wednesday."

"Wha-a-at?" says I.

"And be sure to wear your best frock coat," she adds as a partin' shot.

Do you wonder I stands gaspin' on the curb until after they've turned
the corner? Think of that from Aunty!

"Well?" says Mr. Robert, as I blows in about quittin' time. "Any new
quotations in sculpture?"

"If you think that's a merry jest," says I, "call up Aunty. Why, say,
before we get through with this tea stunt of hers that Djickyns party
will be runnin' his studio works day and night shifts and rebuildin'
Belgium! We're a great team, me and dear old Aunty. We've just found it
out."

CHAPTER XII

ZENOBIA DIGS UP A LATE ONE

And first off I had him listed in the joke column. Think of that! But
when I caught my first glimpse of him, there in the Corrugated gen'ral
offices that mornin', there wa