he ruffled feelings of
her revolver and Chinese instructor.

As Peter parted the golden velvet hangings which shrouded the entrance
to the dimly lighted conservatory, he espied a half-dozen couples
disposed on as many small benches under the drooping fronds in varied
attitudes of tete-a-tete.

The curtains fell in alignment behind him; he caught the angry glare of
two brown eyes from a bench, and realized that Eileen's versatile
professor was not yet pacified. At Professor Hodgson's side, with her
back toward Peter, was a young woman attired in Quaker costume. Her
head was not intimately close to that of the young professor; but it
was close.

As Peter started to cross the waxed floor to her side, he saw Hodgson's
head dip low; saw the girl apparently yield herself into his arms; and
as Peter stopped, stock-still, he saw the long arms of the professor
wrap themselves about the slim shoulders, drawing the hidden face
toward him until the lips met his.

In that dreadful instant the heart of Peter the Brazen deliberately
skipped a beat. Black swam into his eyes, and he trembled, then became
stiff, as his gaze was glued to that ghastly pantomime. He hesitated,
then leaped across the intervening distance.

Both Eileen and her professor leaped up.

Her face was white, and her fingers clutched in convulsion at her
throat; but Peter's face was equally as white and strained as hers.

He stared in pain and utter disbelief, while a smile slowly crept over
the features of Eileen's professor. She seemed about to faint, and
sank back, with eyes tightly closed, against Hodgson's breast.

Peter tried to speak, but a moment passed before he could find words.

"Eileen--Eileen," he muttered, "you said--you told me--oh, God!"

He wheeled and dashed out of the hall, as he proposed to dash out of
her life, with terrible, sinking thoughts in his brain, and his heart
pounding dismally against his ribs. He recovered his coat and hat in
the cloak-room.

Hardly had he vanished than Eileen, recovering slowly from her daze,
sprang after. But Hodgson detained her, gripping her arm.

She seemed to realize for the first time what had been done, and to the
profound astonishment of the several round-eyed couples, she wiped her
hand fiercely across her mouth, the recent repository of the
professor's sudden and unexpected kiss.

"You--beast!" she stammered. "You--you saw him come in! How dared
you! How dared you! I thought you w