otes about such to
brighten up the paper."

"For anything strictly unorthodox you may count on me. If that antidote
turns up, I shall not fail to cackle over it in your columns. By the by,
are you going to review the poison? Excuse so many mixed metaphors," she
added, with a rather forced laugh.

"No, I shan't say anything about it. Why give it an extra advertisement
by slating it?"

"Slating," she repeated with a faint smile. "I see you have mastered all
the slang of your profession."

"Ah, that's the influence of my sub-editor," he said, smiling in return.
"Well, good-bye."

"You're forgetting your overcoat," she said, and having smoothed out
that crumpled collar, she accompanied him down the wide soft-carpeted
staircase into the hall with its rich bronzes and glistening statues.

"How are your people in America?" he bethought himself to ask on the way
down.

"They are very well, thank you," she said. "I send my brother Solomon
_The Flag of Judah_. He is also, I am afraid, one of the unregenerate.
You see I am doing my best to enlarge your congregation."

He could not tell whether it was sarcasm or earnest.

"Well, good-bye," he said, holding out his hand. "Thank you for your
promise."

"Oh, that's not worth thanking me for," she said, touching his long
white fingers for an instant. "Look at the glory of seeing myself in
print. I hope you're not annoyed with me for refusing to contribute
fiction," she ended, growing suddenly remorseful at the moment of
parting.

"Of course not. How could I be?"

"Couldn't your sister Adelaide do you a story?"

"Addle?" he repeated laughing, "Fancy Addie writing stories! Addie has
no literary ability."

"That's always the way with brothers. Solomon says--" She paused
suddenly.

"I don't remember for the moment that Solomon has any proverb on the
subject," he said, still amused at the idea of Addie as an authoress.

"I was thinking of something else. Good-bye. Remember me to your sister,
please."

"Certainly," he said. Then he exclaimed, "Oh, what a block-head I am! I
forgot to remember her to you. She says she would be so pleased if you
would come and have tea and a chat with her some day. I should like you
and Addie to know each other."

"Thanks, I will. I will write to her some day. Good-bye, once more."

He shook hands with her and fumbled at the door.

"Allow me!" she said, and opened it upon the gray dulness of the
dripping street. "When may I hope for