happy thought."

"Probably about that house-broken John of yours."

"Who's calling John house-broken?" Patty stood in the doorway, the
Angora struggling under her arm.

"Well, isn't he house-broken?" asked Warrington with gentle malice.
"Gentle and warranted to stand?"

Patty, for reasons of her own, permitted him to believe that he
succeeded in teasing her.

"Kate, let us be going. I can not listen to Mr. Warrington's remarks
regarding my brother. He treats John as if he were a horse."

"Just as you say, dear. We shall punish Mr. Warrington by not making
informal calls in the future."

"Wait till I get my hat," cried Warrington, "and I'll walk over to the
house with you."

"If you do that," said Patty, "we shall be compelled to ask you to
remain to dinner."

"Oh, I should refuse. I've a telephone engagement between five and
six."

"But we never serve dinner till seven," replied Patty, buttoning her
coat austerely.

Kate laughed merrily.

"If you will ask me over to dinner," said Warrington, "I'll tell you a
secret, a real dark political secret, one that I've promised not to
tell to a soul."

The two women stopped abruptly. The cast was irresistible, and they
had to rise to it.

Yet Patty murmured: "How like a woman he is!"

"It simply shows what high regard I have for your discretion. It is a
secret some men would pay a comfortable fortune to learn."

"Will you please come and dine with us this evening?" asked Patty.

"I shall be very happy."

"And now, the secret," said Mrs. Jack.

"Between five and six I expect a call on the phone from Senator
Henderson."

"Senator Henderson!" exclaimed the women in unison.

"I shall say but a single word. It will be yes."

"But the secret! Mercy alive, you are keeping us waiting!"

Warrington glanced around with mock caution. He went mysteriously to
the portieres and peered into the hall; he repeated this performance
at the dining-room door, then turned, a finger upon his lips.

"Senator Henderson is looking for a candidate for mayor this fall.
Mind, not a word to a soul, not even to John," this warning addressed
principally to Mrs. Jack.

"The Honorable Richard Warrington," said Patty, musing. She rolled the
words on her tongue as if testing the sound of them.

"That's it," laughed Warrington. "The Honorable Richard
Warrington!--sounds like Lord Mayor of London!"

Every Eden has its serpent, sooner or later. Thus, having futilely
tried the usu