en I demanded, "Two what?" she replied, in a breathless tone, "Two
gentlemen," and ushered me into that old-fashioned architectural effort
known to early New York as a front and back parlor.

One of the gentlemen, as I expected, proved to be Dr. Denbigh. The other
was flatly and unmistakably Charles Edward. The doctor offered to excuse
himself, but I took Charles Edward into the back parlor, and I made so
bold as to draw the folding-doors. I felt that the occasion justified
worse than this.

The colloquy between myself and Charles Edward was brief and pointed. He
began by saying, "YOU here! What a mess!--"

My conviction is that he saved himself just in time from Messymaria.

"Have you found him?" I propounded.

"No."

"Haven't seen him?"

"I didn't say I hadn't seen him."

"What did he say?" I insisted.

"Not very much. It was in the Park."

"In the PARK? Not very MUCH? How could you let him go?"

"I didn't let him go," drawled Charles Edward. "He invited me to dinner.
A man can't ask a fellow what his intentions are to a man's sister in
a park. I hadn't said very much up to that point; he did most of the
talking. I thought I would put it off till we got round to the cigars."

"Then?" I cried, impatiently, "and then?"

"You see," reluctantly admitted Charles Edward, "there wasn't any then.
I didn't dine with him, after all. I couldn't find it--"

"Couldn't find what?"

"Couldn't find the hotel," said Charles Edward, defiantly. "I lost the
address. Couldn't even say that it was a hotel. I believe it was a club.
He seems to be a sort of a swell--for a coeducational professor--anyhow,
I lost the address; and that is the long and short of it."

"If it had been a studio or a Bohemian cafe--" I began.

"I should undoubtedly have remembered it," admitted Charles Edward, in
his languid way.

"You have lost him," I replied, frostily. "You have lost Harry Goward,
and you come here--"

"On the same errand, I presume, my distressed and distressing sister,
that has brought you. Have you seen her?" he demanded, with sudden,
uncharacteristic shrewdness.

At this moment a portiere opened at the side of my back parlor, and Mrs.
Chataway, voluminously appearing, mysteriously beckoned me. I followed
her into the dreariest hall I think I ever saw even in a New York
boarding-house. There the landlady frankly told me that Miss Talbert
wasn't out. She was in her room packing to make one of her visits. Miss
Talbert h