I'm simply
_insane_ over it!"

She evidently had not exaggerated. She absorbed enough of the dessert
to have satisfied two growing men. It did Carroll good to witness her
frank enjoyment of his luncheon. She glanced at her wrist watch and
rose hastily--

"Goodness me, I've simply _got_ to be going."

"Where?"

She made a wry face: "Hazel Gresham's. Honestly, women get queer when
they grow up--get older than twenty. Hazel has been acting so
_peculiarly_ lately--"

"That's natural, isn't it, Miss Rogers? Her fiance killed--"

"Oh! shucks! I don't mean that. That wouldn't be queer. But there's
something else bothering her. And when I try to get her to tell me what
it is, she gets right snippy and tells me to mind my own business. And
I'll tell you right now, Mr. Carroll--if there's one person in the whole
world who always minds their own business--and who doesn't pay the
slightest attention to other peoples' affairs--that person is me. I
started that a long time ago when I read something some one wrote in a
book about how much happier folks could be if they never bothered with
other folk's business--and it struck me as awfully logical. And so that's
what I've always done. Don't you think I'm sensible?"

"I certainly do. Very sensible. And I'm sorry Miss Gresham isn't
feeling well."

"Oh! she feels well enough. She's just acting nutty. And as for when your
name is mentioned--O-o-oh!"

"_My_ name?" Carroll was genuinely surprised.

"Yes siree-bob! I started telling her all about what good friends you
and I have gotten to be--and would you believe it! she jumped all
over me--just like Sis did when I told her--and said I shouldn't
associate with professional detectives--and it was immoral--and all
that sort of thing."

"Indeed?"

"You bet she did. It was scandalous! Of course I told her what a ducky
you are--but she begged me not to go with you any more. I told her she
was crazy--because I really don't think there's anything so very
terrible about you--do you?"

"At least," smiled Carroll, "I won't eat you. But what you tell me about
Miss Gresham is interesting. Why in the world should she be prejudiced
against the man who is trying to locate the slayer of her fiance?"

"Ask me something easy. I reckon it's just like I said before: when a
woman grows up--gets to be twenty--she gets mentally unbalanced--or
something. Honestly, I haven't met a woman over nineteen years of age
in the _longest_ time who didn't