Midnight

ad desired to create a sensation among her friends, she more than succeeded. She preceded Carroll into the place, her ey

uce you to my friends." She called them by name. "

t any friends of his very dear friend, Miss Rogers. The girls at the table giggled with embarrassment, and one or two of them made rather pallid attempts at

bject in the world more vital at that moment than the selection of

banana sundae; strawberry glory; peach Melba; chocolate parfait, with

abyrinth of toothsome titles

asted a chocolat

I'm afr

ed over it, and as soon as they pour the fudge-it's steaming hot, you know-

want one, too

eat too much anyway, don't you, Mr. Carroll? I read in a book once that after you reach a certain point in eating-that is, after you've swallowed just the right number of calories-the rest don'

turned t

s," he ordered; "and put a

yes of the girl turn

were the most wonderful, the most marvelous man in the world, I

what caused t

hose girls think that you've known me all yo

s a trifle

gag

don't look lik

ective

when I'm with you. You'r

w, when I'm with you, I feel inspired

all

And did I really help you by

Miss Rogers. There i

and leaned confident

tell me

rel

y killed M

E

lly did

don't know. I'm t

You couldn't have been working on the case this

so it's why I rather hoped that you migh

lthough I'm not an absolute fool. Gerald says I am, of course-he's my brother-in-law-but then

d. Ah, her

a few moments they gave themselves over to the ta

u want me t

ance-you knew Roland Warre

er. He was an awfully nice boy, and crazy about

u saw a good

nd was coming to see, and Naomi-she's my sister-used to think that he was coming to see her; and all the time I

ter is so

as thirty on her

e is ancient

ugh Naomi isn't

ster cou

better husband than she drew. Honestly, when the divine providence was handing

ter doesn't agree

d about Gerald. How could she be? He's old enough to be her father-forty-two, if he's a

entary picture

husband at all is a hundred per cent better than a man like that. Not that he beats Naomi. Fact is, I'd think h

dee

ntal reaction, or something-like a safety-valve on a steam-engine. If the engine didn't have the safety-valve, it would blow up. So if it's true that

sound rea

m right peeved at Gerald or Naomi or somebody, I get in my room and s

uished while she agai

oll

our friend, Miss

n there are just as good fish in the sea as ever were caught? I told her that, but it don't seem to do a single bit of good. She just keeps saying, 'Poor Roland is dead,' just as if

t unnatura

ot; but it's terri

iscuss the

the t

ink about the wom

e woman who

es

If I was that woman,

if Hazel

suspicion of any

ome vampire; but we can't decide which one. Most of the women we know

ywa

like Roland to be eloping with a marri

hing mixture of world-old wisdom and almost childish innocence.

brother?" he inquired id

to people, the more I think I'm the only level-headed one

oll rose and reached for

she asked

ng was to

young gentlemen who meet you

n't you just adore to see that picture at th

rha

ile an exclamation, rather profane, issued from his lips. David Carroll and a seventeen-year-old girl headed for a picture show! The t

om spectators unfortunate enough to be sitting within range of her constant c

as studded with thousands of lights, which glared coldly through the December chill. Principally because he did not kno

talk. He followed her directions mechanically, and eventually they rounded a corner in the heart of

'd better turn first, so yo

girl, and anxious to be rid of her; but as he swung his car across th

losed, and the man descended the steps, moved down the walk to the street, and strode swiftly

with an effort to control his t

that man, M

es

u know

! He's been here

at the curb. He assist

de a stran

hether you'd allow me to

pped open with t

to come and call on

will a

I think you're simply-simply-gr

sister wi

s! To-morr

o-morro

a few exubera

he girls say w

w Evelyn enter the house, but his thoughts were not w

faces, and he had r

Barker, former val