.

"Say, Miss Hampton," I breaks in, "you leave it to me."

"But there isn't anything to leave," says she, "not a shred! Sometime,
though, I hope I may meet your Miss Vee. May I?"

"I should guess!" says I. "Why, she thinks you're a star! We both do."

"Thank you, Torchy," says she. "I'm glad someone approves of me.
Good-by." And we shakes hands friendly at the door.

It was long after five by that time; but I made a break back to the
office. Had to get the floor janitor to let me in. I was glad, though,
to have the place to myself.

What I was after was a peek at some back letter files. Course I wa'n't
sure he could be such a chump; but, knowin' somethin' about his habits
along the correspondence line, I meant to settle the point. And, fishin'
out Mr. Robert's personal book, I begun the hunt. I had the right dope,
too.

"The lobster!" says I.

There it was, all typed out neat, "My Dear Miss Hampton." And dictated!
Much as ten lines, too! It starts real chatty and familiar with, "Yours
of the 16th inst. at hand," just like he always does, whether he's
closin' a million-dollar deal or payin' a tailor's bill. He goes on to
confide to her how the weather's beastly, business on the fritz, and how
he's just ordered a new sixty-footer that he hopes will be in commission
for the July regattas.

A hot billy-doo to a young lady he's supposed to be clean nutty over,
one that had been sittin' up nights writin' on both sides of half a
dozen sheets to him! I found four or five more just like it, the last
one bein' varied a little by startin', "Yours of the 5th inst. still at
hand." Do you wonder she quit?

If this had been a letter-writin' competition, I'd have thrown up both
hands; but it wa'n't.

I'd seen Mr. Robert gazin' mushy at that picture of her, and I'd watched
Miss Hampton when she was tellin' me about him. Only they was
short-circuited somewhere. And it seemed like a blamed shame.

Half an hour more and I'd located Mr. Robert at his club.

He ain't very enthusiastic, either, when one of the doormen tows me
into the corner of the loungin' room where he's sittin' behind a tall
glass gazin' moody at nothin' in particular.

"I suppose you told her all about it!" says he.

"And then a few," says I.

"Well?" says he sort of hopeless.

"Verdict for the defense," says I. "I didn't even have to produce the
florist's receipt."

"Then that's settled," says he, sighin'.

"You couldn't have made the job more c