almost
wished I would die. I shall come early, and please wear the blue dress,
and be good to me."

That evening, after a long and satisfying preamble, they sat before her
tiny grate with their coffee, and she broached the wonderful plan.

"He is the most utterly married-to-duty thing you ever saw. He says he
can not in common decency refuse to marry a girl who has been engaged to
him for five years. He hasn't even seen her for three, and isn't a bit
interested in her. Why, they only write once a month, or so. That's no
love-affair, anybody can see that. But he won't ask her to let him off,
and so we have thought up the most scientific scheme to work it. He is
inviting her to come here for a visit, and she is to stay with me. She
hates sensible businesslike men, and she adores scatter-brain, fussy
ones. So when she comes, he is going to be as poky as duty itself, and
wear old grimy clothes, and work day and night, and you are going to don
your sunshine apparel and blossom out like a rose, and beau her around in
great style. Result, she will fire him, hoping to ensnare you--but don't
you make any mistake and get yourself ensnared for keeps, will you?"

"He is going to work evenings, is he?"

"Yes, day times and night times and all times."

"And I am to cavalier the lady?"

"Not the lady," she denied indignantly. "Both of us. You shan't go out
with her alone. She is a terrible flirt, and very pretty. Where you and
she goeth, I shall goeth also."

"Well, I can stand it. But what is to become of my own future? Why should
I neglect my legal interests to beau another fellow's sweetheart about
the town?"

"Because you always help me out of a tight place," she said wheedlingly.
"And because you do not approve of my campaign. But if you are nice and
help me this time, I think I can everlastingly prove that I am right."

"If I do the work, seems to me I do the proving."

"Yes, but it is my theory, so I get the credit. Of course you must be
very gay and make quite a fuss over Miss Weldon, but don't you carry it
too far, or you'll be in bad with me."

Anything that meant the eclipse of the Handsome Member could not be other
than satisfactory to Nolan. He agreed with a great deal of enthusiasm,
only stipulating that all evenings previous to the arrival of the pretty
fiancee should be devoted to private rehearsal of his part under the
personal direction of the Dutiless Theorist.

So it was Nolan and Eveley who met Miss