ond reunion it was a success from the first tap of the bell. They
went to it strong.

As for the Profess., he seemed to be knocked clear off his pins. Honest,
I don't believe he knew whether he was eatin' dinner or steerin' an
airship. I caught him once tryin' to butter an olive with a bread stick,
and he sopped up a pink cocktail without even lookin' at it. The same
thing happened to the one Vee pushed over near his absent-minded hand.
And the deeper he got into the dinner the livelier grew the twinkle in
them mild eyes of his.

Cousin Myra, too, was mellowin' fast. The first time she let loose with
a laugh, I near fell off my chair; but before long I got used to it.
Next thing I knew, she was smilin' across at me real roguish, and beatin'
time with her finger-tips to the music.

"Ah, ha!" says she. "More of your tricks. I thought the 'Nocturne' was
just an accident, but now the 'Blue Danube'--that is your work, young
man. Or is it Verona's! Come now, what are you up to, you two over
there?"

"Ask Torchy," says Vee, shakin' her head.

"Don't you believe her," says I. "She's the one that planned most of
this."

"But what is it?" demands Cousin Myra. "What do you call it?"

"Why," says I, grinnin' more or less foolish, "we're just givin' a Myra
day, that's all."

"Splendid!" says she. "And the fact that I don't in the least deserve it
makes it seem all the nicer. I suppose your being here, Lester, is part
of the plot, too?"

"I hope so," says the Professor.

"Do you know," says Myra, liftin' her glass and glancin' kittenish over
the brim at him, "I mean to try to live up to this day. I don't mind
saying, though, that for a while it's going to be an awful strain."

"Anyway," says I to Vee, after it's all over and the Professor has
finally said good night, "she's got a good start."

"Yes," says Vee, "and perhaps Lester will help some. I didn't quite look
for that. It's been fun, though, hasn't it?"

"For an indoor sport," says I, "givin' a Myra day is a lot merrier than
it sounds. It beats bein' good to yourself nine up and six to go."

CHAPTER IX

REPORTING BLANK ON RUPERT

And yet, I've had people ask me if this private sec. job didn't get
sort of monotonous! Does it? Say, listen a while!

I was breezin' through the arcade here the other noon, about twenty
minutes behind my lunch schedule, when someone backs away from the
marble wall tablets the agents have erected in honor