l at first, but finally yielded like
a dear boy. Then he seemed to enter in the nicest way into the spirit of
our altruistic design. He said that after he had asked the girl, it
would be very nice if Robert should ask her too. He would be refused, of
course, but the girl would have the pleasant feeling of getting a rush,
and Robert would boost his standing as a philanthropist, all without
cost to anybody. Robert was good-natured, and fell in with the plan.
Three days later he telephoned me, simply furious. He had asked the
girl--you know he hasn't been to a German for five years--and she
accepted at once with tears of gratitude."

"But how--?"

"Of course Beverley never asked her. He simply trapped Robert, which he
would rather do than anything else in the world."

West shouted. "Speaking of Germans," he said presently, "I am making up
my list for next year--the early bird, you know. How many will you give
me?"

"Six."

"Will you kindly sign up the papers to-night?"

"No--my mother won't let me. I might sign up for one if you want me
to."

"What possible use has your mother for the other five that is better
than giving them all to me?"

"Perhaps she doesn't want to spoil other men for me."

West leaned forward, interest fully awakened on his charming face, and
Sharlee watched him, pleased with herself.

It had occurred to her, in fact, that Mr. West was tired; and this was
the solemn truth. He was a man of large responsibilities, with a day's
work behind him and a night's work ahead of him. His personal conception
of the way to occupy the precious interval did not include the
conscientious talking of shop. Jaded and brain-fagged, what he desired
was to be amused, beguiled, soothed, fascinated, even flattered a bit,
mayhap. Sharlee's theory of hospitality was that a guest was entitled to
any type of conversation he had a mind to. Having dismissed her own
troubles, she now proceeded to make herself as agreeable as she knew
how; and he has read these pages to little purpose who does not know
that that was very agreeable indeed.

West, at least, appeared to think so. He lingered, charmed, until
quarter past eleven o'clock, at which hour Mrs. Weyland, in the room
above, began to let the tongs and poker fall about with unmistakable
significance; and went out into the starlit night radiant with the
certainty that his heart, after long wandering, had found its true mate
at last.

XXIV

_Sharlee's P