promenade.

That was the second time--not counting distant glimpses in crowded
avenues, in the Park, at Sherry's, or across the hazy glitter of
thronged theatres. But the third encounter was different.

It was all a mistake, born of the haste of a heedless and elderly
matron, celebrated for managing to do the wrong thing, but who had been
excessively nice to him that winter, and whose position in Manhattan was
not to be assailed.

"Dear Captain Selwyn," she wheezed over the telephone, "I'm short one
man; and we dine at eight and it's that now. _Could_ you help me? It's
the rich and yellow, this time, but you won't mind, will you?"

Selwyn, standing at the lower telephone in the hall, asked her to hold
the wire a moment, and glanced up at his sister who was descending the
stairs with Eileen, dinner having at that instant been announced.

"Mrs. T. West Minster--flying signals of distress," he said, carefully
covering the transmitter as he spoke; "man overboard, and will I kindly
take a turn at the wheel?"

"What a shame!" said Eileen; "you are going to spoil the first home
dinner we have had together in weeks!"

"Tell her to get some yellow pup!" growled Austin, from above.

"As though anybody could get a yellow pup when they whistle," said Nina
hopelessly.

"That's true," nodded Selwyn; "I'm the original old dog Tray. Whistle,
and I come padding up. Ever faithful, you see."

And he uncovered the transmitter and explained to Mrs. T. West Minster
his absurd delight at being whistled at. Then he sent for a cab and
sauntered into the dining-room, where he was received with undisguised
hostility.

"She's been civil to me," he said; "_jeunesse oblige_, you know. And
that's why I--"

"There'll be a lot of debutantes there! What do you want to go for, you
cradle robber!" protested Austin--"a lot of water-bibbing, olive-eating,
talcum-powdered debutantes--"

Eileen straightened up stiffly, and Selwyn's teasing smile and his
offered hand in adieu completed her indignation.

"Oh, good-bye! No, I won't shake hands. There's your cab, now. I wish
you'd take Austin, too; Nina and I are tired of dining with the
prematurely aged."

"Indeed, we are," said Mrs. Gerard; "go to your club, Austin, and give
me a chance to telephone to somebody under the anesthetic age."

Selwyn departed, laughing, but he yawned in his cab all the way to
Fifty-third Street, where he entered in the wake of the usual laggards
and, surrenderin