nt took away the telegram.

"Now," said the heir apparent to the Prince Regency of Manhattan, "there
are two things still" possible. First, you might ring up police
headquarters and ask for aid; next, request assistance from fire
headquarters."

"If I do," she said, "wouldn't the newspapers get hold of it?"

"You are perfectly right," he said.

She had now drawn her chair so close to the gilded grille that, hands
resting upon it, she could look down into the car where sat the scion of
the Vanderdynks on a flimsy Louis XV chair.

"I can't express to you how sorry I am," she said. "Is there anything I
can do to--to ameliorate your imprisonment?"

He looked at her in a bewildered way.

"You don't expect me to remain here until after New Year's, do you?" he
inquired.

"I don't see how you can avoid it. Nobody seems to want to work until
after New Year's."

"Stay in a cage--two days and a night!"

"Perhaps I had better call up the police."

"No, no! Wait. I'll tell you what to do. Start that man, Ferdinand, on a
tour of the city. If he hunts hard enough and long enough he'll find some
plumber or locksmith or somebody who'll come."

She rang for Ferdinand; together they instructed him, and he went away,
promising to bring salvation in some shape.

Which promise made the young man more cheerful and smoothed out the
worried pucker between Sacharissa's straight brows.

"I suppose," she said, "that you will never forgive my maid for this--or
me either."

He laughed. "After all," he admitted, "it's rather funny."

"I don't believe you think it's funny."

"Yes, I do."

"Didn't you want to go to Tuxedo?"

"I!" He looked up at the pretty countenance of Sacharissa. "I _did_ want
to--a few minutes ago."

"And now that you can't your philosophy teaches you that you _don't_ want
to?"

They laughed at each other in friendly fashion.

"Perhaps it's my philosophy," he said, "but" I really don't care very
much.... I'm not sure that I care at all.... In fact, now that I think of
it, why should I have wished to go to Tuxedo? It's stupid to want to go
to Tuxedo when New York is so attractive."

"Do you know," she said reflectively, "that I came to the same
conclusion?"

"When?"

"This morning."

"Be-before you--I----"

"Oh, yes," she said rather hastily, "before you came----"

She broke off, pink with consternation. What a ridiculous thing to say!
What on earth was twisting her tongue to hint at such an ab