sing penitent.

"If he has gone into that barroom, I'll have him out, no matter who is
there!" growled Mac to himself as he made his way to the small apartment
whither the gentlemen retired for a little private refreshment when the
spirit moved, as it often did.

The door was ajar, and Charlie seemed to have just entered, for Mac
heard a familiar voice call out in a jovial tone: "Come, Prince! You're
just in time to help us drink Steve's health with all the honors."

"Can't stop, only ran in to say good night, Van. Had a capital time, but
I'm on duty and must go."

"That's a new dodge. Take a stirrup cup anyway, and come back in time
for a merry-go-rounder when you've disposed of the ladies," answered the
young host, diving into the wine cooler for another bottle.

"Charlie's going in for sanctity, and it doesn't seem to agree with
him," laughed one of the two other young men who occupied several chairs
apiece, resting their soles in every sense of the word.

"Apron strings are coming into fashion the bluer the better hey,
Prince?" added the other, trying to be witty, with the usual success.

"You'd better go home early yourself, Barrow, or that tongue of yours
will get you into trouble," retorted Charlie, conscious that he ought
to take his own advice, yet lingering, nervously putting on his gloves
while the glasses were being filled.

"Now, brother-in-law, fire away! Here you are, Prince." And Steve handed
a glass across the table to his cousin, feeling too much elated with
various pleasurable emotions to think what he was doing, for the boys
all knew Charlie's weakness and usually tried to defend him from it.

Before the glass could be taken, however, Mac entered in a great hurry,
delivering his message in an abbreviated and rather peremptory form:
"Rose is waiting for you. Hurry up!"

"All right. Good night, old fellows!" And Charlie was off, as if the
name had power to stop him in the very act of breaking the promise made
to himself.

"Come, Solon, take a social drop, and give us an epithalamium in your
best Greek. Here's to you!" And Steve was lifting the wine to his own
lips when Mac knocked the glass out of his hand with a flash of the
eye that caused his brother to stare at him with his mouth open in
an imbecile sort of way, which seemed to excite Mac still more, for,
turning to his young host, he said, in a low voice, and with a look that
made the gentlemen on the chairs sit up suddenly: "I beg par