male chamber-maid as if to intimate that I should leave the aisle free
for his operations.

"Many thanks, yes," I answered him. "Good night, Madam, and to you
again much gratitude for the happiness of an evening," and with all
sincerity I directed Mr. Robert Carruthers to bend over her very white
hand and kiss it with much fervor that was resulted from the
loneliness of the poor Marquise of Grez and Bye, who was but a girl in
a strange and large land, although habited in trousers and coat.

"You are a dear boy," she made answer to me with an equal affection as
she disappeared into the curtains of her small room. Then I departed
to that room reserved for the disrobing of gentlemen. It was without
occupation and I opened my large bag and procured the very beautiful
silk night robing that the kind man had sold to me that afternoon. It
was in two pieces that very much resembled the costume in which
gentlemen play tennis, only more ornamented by silk embroidery and
braid and buttons. I was regarding them with joy when into the small
room came that Mr. G. Slade of Detroit. He was appareled in garments
of the same cut only of a very wide red stripe, his hair was very much
in confusion and he had a bottle in his hand in which was a liquid the
color of cognac.

"I've only been awake for two hours listening to that peach of a skirt
trying to make you fuss her a bit, and I thought I would bring you a
nip to pick you up after your fight. Gee, it is as I suspected. You
are off on a wedding tango and that makes you cold to all wiles! My
son, for a wedding garment that thing you have in your hand is a
winner. I can't sleep in silk myself because it makes me feel like a
wet dog, but you'll be so beautiful in them that the bride will be
jealous of you and say that even if you are so pretty now you will
fade early or that you buy your complexion at the corner emporium. Go
on, put 'em on, or was you just looking at 'em for pleasure and going
to save 'em by sleeping 'as is'? Me, I always undress to the skin, but
some don't."

"I--I was just looking at them with pleasure," I made haste to answer
that Mr. G. Slade of Detroit. "When upon travels I always fear to
disrobe myself. I think that I will now retire," and with a haste that
made my hands tremble I replaced the sleeping garments in the large
bag and prepared to flee down the aisle to the sleeping apartment in
which was the protection of another woman's presence.

"Not even a nip