veloped
that we had an affinity of tastes. It was her ambition to travel--she
had never traveled. She delighted in long tramps--heretofore she had
found no one to be her companion. She was sure that automobiling was
"just the best sort of fun," judging from the one ride she had had.
And so time slipped by, and I had utterly forgotten "Edith" and the
other "Mr. Page," and everything else except one thing, when Mrs.
"Ted's" voice, just outside the barrier of foliage which hid us,
complained that Miss Gans could not be found anywhere.

Margery heard, and flushed. "Come on," she said. "This is
disgraceful." She rose.

"But----" I objected.

"No buts," she insisted. "Have you forgotten Edith?"

"For the time being," I admitted.

She brushed past me. Her bearing was one of indignant scorn. But, over
her shoulder, she remarked, as she looked back: "What a nice place
this would be to eat supper."

I replied judiciously that whoever selected it for that purpose should
anticipate the supper hour by early occupation. I added that it was my
intention to pass the intervening time in the smoking room--alone.

She declared that I smoked too much. In Edith's absence, she supposed,
it was her duty, etc. Supper was at twelve o'clock; eleven-thirty
seemed to be about the right hour to resume occupation of the bower.

Mrs. "Ted" saw us coming to her, and waited. Margery presented me.
Mrs. "Ted" was properly grave. She remarked that she had had the honor
of knowing the gentleman so long that sometimes she forgot to put the
"Mister" before his name. It was a contagious habit, she had observed.

I withdrew. Mrs. "Ted's" variety is infinite, and I was afraid she
would forget--promises.

In the smoking room I got a corner to myself. But, not for long. Three
men came and sat down near by; and, in company with long glasses
filled with ice and other things, told stories. Most of these were of
people of whom I knew nothing. But the mention of one name caught my
attention. It was "Stoughton Page." It appeared that he had met with
an accident early in the evening. His automobile had broken down on
the way to meet the seven-fifty train, and he had footed it to the
railroad station, only to find that whoever he was to meet there had
not come down. He had crawled back to the club, and somebody called
"Bobbie" had towed him to his home.

As I flung away my cigar and left the smoking room, I was more than'
ever of the opinion that Mrs. "Ted'