s later the boat comes alongside and the passengers
break away from the rail to get in line for the gangplank. As I'm there
to welcome Miss Marjorie Ellins, I has to post myself near the E
section, and inside of fifteen minutes she's all through havin' her
suitcase and steamer trunk pawed over, and leavin' the hold baggage to
be claimed later, we streams out to where I had a cab waitin'.

"Is it all aboard, Miss Marjorie?" says I.

"Not yet," says she. "You see, I've asked Vee to come home with me for
dinner--the girl I met on the steamer. You don't mind waiting, do you?"

Did I? Say, nobody would suspect it, I guess, by the grin I had on when
she and Aunty and the four-eyed party comes trailin' out.

"Say, Miss Marjorie," says I, "is that Count Schutzenbund?"

"Schlegelhessen," says Marjorie, "and he's a perfect----"

"Yes, I've heard he was," says I. "Little antique, though, ain't he?"

"Why, he isn't forty!" says Marjorie. "And he's just too----"

There wa'n't time for any more bouquets, though; for the trio was too
close. Must have been some of a surprise for Vee to see me waitin'
there, and for a bit she don't seem to make out just who it is. That
only lasts a second, though. Then them gray eyes of hers lights up, and
them thin lips curls into a smile, and she holds out both hands in that
quick way of hers.

"Why, it's Torchy, isn't it?" says she, half laughin'.

"Uh-huh," says I, lettin' the grin spread wider. "Can't shake the name
or the hair."

"Never try," says she. "Look, Aunty, here's Torchy!"

"Torchy?" says the wide old girl, inspectin' me doubtful through her
lorgnette. "Why, Verona, I don't remember----"

"Oh, yes, you do, Aunty," says Miss Vee. "Anyway, I've told you about
him, and it's so jolly to have some one to meet us. Thank you, Torchy.
Now let's see, Marjorie, how do we divide up? Aunty goes to her
hotel--and--and where do you go, Count?"

"Me, I am--what you call--perplex," says the Count, and he sure looked
it. "But where the young ladies go, there I will follow. _Hein?_"

He shrugs his shoulders again and puts on such a comical face that it's
no wonder the girls giggled. And that one act maps out the Count for me.
He's just one of them middle aged cut-ups that's amusin' to have around,
if the sessions ain't too frequent. Follow the young ladies, would he?
Say, there was only three inside seats to my taxi, and I hadn't planned
on ridin' with the driver.

"Lemme fix that for you