Street I hear, and his name is Klutchem."

Fitz, in his astonishment, so far forgot himself as to indulge in a
low whistle.

"Then you _do_ know him?"

"Oh, very well."

"And you tell me that Mr. Klutchem is really coming to dinner and
going to bring his daughter?" asked Fitz, in a tone that made his
surprise all the more marked.

"Yes; George had a note from him this morning saying his daughter
would be here before dark and he would come direct from his office and
meet her here in time for dinner. Isn't it delightful? You will be
quite charmed with our guest, I'm sure. And about the father--tell me
something of him?" Aunt Nancy inquired in her sweetest voice.

"About Mr. Klutchem? Well! Yes, to be sure. Why, Klutchem! Yes, of
course. A most genial and kindly man," answered Fitz, controlling
himself; "a little eccentric at times I have heard, but not more so
than most men of his class. Not a man of much taste, perhaps, but most
generous. Would give you anything in the world he didn't want, and be
so delighted when you took it off his hands. Insisted on giving me a
lot of stock the other day, but of course I wouldn't take it." This
was said with so grave a face that its point escaped the dear lady.

"How very kind of him. Perhaps that is where his daughter gets her
charm," replied Aunt Nancy, with a winning smile.

There is no telling what additional mendacities regarding the
Klutchem family Fitz, who had now regained his equilibrium, would have
indulged in, had I not knit my eyebrows at him behind Aunt Nancy's
back as a warning to the mendacitor not to mislead the dear lady,
whose disappointment, I knew, would only be the greater when she met
Klutchem face to face.

When I had risen to take my leave Fitz excused himself for a moment
and followed me into the hall.

"Klutchem coming to dinner, Major, and going to bring his daughter?
What the devil do you think is up? If the Colonel wasn't so useless
financially I'd think Klutchem had some game up his sleeve. But if
that is so, why bring his daughter? My lawyer told me to-day the
assault and battery case is all settled, so it can't be that. Wonder
if the Colonel has converted Klutchem as to the proper way of running
a bank? No, that's nonsense! Klutchem would skin a flea and sell the
tallow, no matter what the Colonel said to him. Coming to dinner!
Well, that gets me!"

As I shut the front door behind me and stopped for a minute on the top
step overlooking