he gets
back, because, forsooth, he happens to be newly engaged, he's so
wrapped up in a little thing like that, that he might as well have
stayed in New York. He doesn't respond when I ring up his office on
the telephone; he doesn't see me on the street---or, at least, only
once--he seems scared. I've a good mind to give him something to _be_
scared about!"

"Your condition," said the doctor, "is verging on the pathological."

"I don't know what path it's verging on," was the reply, "but it isn't
the primrose path of dalliance. There's some mystery in it."

"Go to Madame What's-Her-Name down at the hotel," said Flossie. "She
has solved almost all the mysteries we used to have--for a
consideration. And she is said to have superior facilities for
observing this Great Brassfield Mystery of yours."

"I must!" replied Miss Scarlett, looking out of the window. "There's
Billy Cox just going into his house! What a pity for a bachelor to
have such a big house all to himself--it has filled me with sighs for
the past week, that thought! Oh, girls, I've an idea! Let's call him
over and have him take us down to her! Central! Give me 432, please.
Is that you, Billy? This is Daisy. Don't you want to do something for
me?--Oh, you behave, now! We want you to take us somewhere down town,
so don't take off your coat. We'll explain when you come over.
Good-by!"

"Well, of all things!" exclaimed Flossie. "_I_ don't care about Mr.
Cox, nor his big house! And the doctor and I have just started----"

"Oh, we can't go," said the doctor, "but that won't break Daisy's
heart; she didn't expect we would, did you?"

"Well, I shall be sorry not to have you go, of course," said Miss
Scarlett. "But if you must go, how would it do for you to slip away
before Billy, comes in, so as to leave him to me? I may be able to
make something of Billy, if I'm allowed to have my way with him.
_Must_ you go? So glad you called. Of course, we shall meet at our
reception? Good-by!"

Madame le Claire looked amusedly down on Miss Scarlett. The
bright-haired one was questioning her concerning her mystic art.

Could she see into the future?

Sometimes, when the conditions were right.

Could she read thoughts?

Let the lady judge, on the statement that two men, one with brown and
the other with gray eyes, had been much in the lady's thoughts lately.

Marvelous! And could she tell what her thoughts in that connection had
been? We