."

And having given these hasty directions, Cyn opened the door the
smallest possible crack. As she did so, and before she could speak, it
was pushed back violently, almost knocking her over, and in burst
Quimby. This, however, might not have much disconcerted them, as _he_
could have been disposed of easily enough, had not at his heels came a
tall, fine-looking young man, a perfect stranger to both Cyn and Nattie.

"You see I keep my word!" was the enigmatical remark the smiling Quimby
made as he entered. Then, catching sight of the festive board, he
stopped short and stared, with an utterly confounded face, at that, at
the embarrassed Nattie, at Cyn, behind the door, and at the saucepan
cover, which, embellished with potato parings, occupied a prominent
position in the middle of the floor.

His companion also paused, a surprised and amused smile lurking in his
merry brown eyes as he looked at Nattie, seemingly regardless of
anything else in the room.

Cyn was the first to recover from the general petrifaction, and with the
involuntary thought, "what an excellent stage situation!" came from
behind the door, where Quimby's impetuous entrance had thrust her,
saying, with as much ease as she could possibly gather together,

"Don't be frightened at what you see, friend Quimby; we were only
extemporizing a little feast, that is all. Will you join us?"

But Quimby only stared harder than ever; he was evidently struck
speechless.

His companion, thus placed in the awkward position of an unintroduced
intruder, withdrew his eyes from Nattie, took in the situation at a
glance, and turning to Cyn, said, smiling,

"I think we owe you an apology for our intrusion; my friend Quimby, on
whom I called to day, in pity for my being a stranger in the city,
kindly offered to introduce me to some friends of his. He informed me we
were expected, but I fear we have made a mistake."

At this Quimby recovered his voice.

"No!" he cried, in stentorian tones, "it was not--I _cannot_ have made a
mistake this time, you know! Cyn"--looking at her reproachfully--"you
knew about it! I met you a short time ago, and asked you--and you said
we might come, you know!"

Half amazed and half amused, Cyn shook her head in denial, at which
action Quimby started and turned pale.

"Why I--I beg pardon--but in the hall! you said, 'certainly,' you know!"

"Oh!" said Cyn, a light breaking in upon her. "I see, but I did not then
understand you, I s