this reached Jimmy he was nonplused. He rubbed his forehead,
studied the message, reread it, and then handed it to Mary with the
suggestion:

"Maybe you can make it out. I can't."

Mary knitted her brows and studied the message in turn. At length she
handed it back.

"It is simple," she decided. "She is a nice, sweet girl, and she wants
me to meet her mama and papa. Or maybe she wants us to be chaperoned."

So Jimmy and Mary waited in the hotel parlor until Lucy should arrive.
Reminded by Mary, Jimmy went to the 'phone and told Mr. Putnam that Lucy
was coming to lunch with him.

"Well, that's all right, isn't it, Jimmy?" Mr. Putnam asked.

"Yes. But she told me to telephone you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. But won't you join us?"

"Is that other matter arranged, Jimmy?"

"N-no. Not yet."

"I told you I didn't want to see you until it was. As soon as you wake
up, let me know. Good-by."

Jimmy, red, returned to the parlor, and there was confronted by a vision
of white, with shining eyes and pink cheeks, who rushed up to him and
kissed him and called him a dear old thing and said he was the
cleverest, most unconventional man that ever was.

Limp, astounded, but delighted, James Trottingham Minton drew back a
pace from Lucy Putnam, who, in her dainty white dress and her white hat
and filmy white veil, was a delectable sight.

"I want you to meet Cousin Mary," he said.

"Is she to attend?"

"Of course," he answered.

They walked toward the end of the long parlor where Mary was sitting,
but half way down the room they were stopped by Mrs. Putnam. She put
both hands on Jimmy's shoulders, gave him a motherly kiss on one cheek,
and sighed:

"Jimmy, you will be kind to my little girl?"

Jimmy looked from mother to daughter in dumb bewilderment. Certainly
this was the most remarkable conduct he ever had dreamed of. Yet, Mrs.
Putnam's smile was so affectionate and kind, her eyes met his with such
a tender look that he intuitively felt that all was right as right
should be. And yet--why should they act as they did?

Into the midst of his reflections burst Lucy's chum, Alice Jordan.

"I've a notion to kiss him, too!" she cried.

Jimmy stonily held himself in readiness to be kissed. If kissing went by
favor he was pre-eminently a favored one. But Lucy clutched his arm with
a pretty air of ownership and forbade Alice.

"Indeed, you will not. It wouldn't be good form now. After--afterward,
you may. Just once