indeed, more fashionable than a Fifth Avenue voice ever dared
to be--called up, one after another, the city editors of the best papers
and asked:

"Is it true that Grace Goodchild has eloped with Hendrik Rutgers?"

"We had not heard that--"

"It is not true! _It is not true!_" shrieked the voice in the highest
pitch of dismay and rang on.

Having been told that it was not true, the city editors, after vainly
trying to get the speaker again, honorably called up the Goodchild
residence.

Nobody home!

That was enough corroboration for any intelligent man, but the city
editors despatched their most reliable reporters to the former residence
of the bride. Being prudent men, the editors prepared the photographs,
and the head-line was all a matter of final punctuation:

MISS GOODCHILD ELOPES

It remained for the make-up man to put a "!" or a "?" after "ELOPES."

The reporters could not get to either Mr. or Mrs. Goodchild or to H. R.
or Grace. The papers therefore did not say that the young people, whose
courtship was a Fifth Avenue romance, had eloped. That might not be
true. But they printed Grace's photographs and H. R.'s and reviewed
H. R.'s meteoric career and called the rumor a rumor. That was common
sense.

Also, all the newspapers spoke about the Montagues and the Capulets. At
about 2.30 A.M. the reporters returned with expurgated versions of Mr.
Goodchild's denial. But the pages were cast. The late city editions
honorably printed:

Mr. Goodchild, when seen early this morning, denied the
rumor.

It was thus, at one stroke, that the nuptials of Grace Goodchild and
H. R. were definitely placed among the probabilities. The average
New-Yorker now knew it was only a matter of days.

XV

H. R. dressed to resemble an undertaker, but wearing a beautiful orchid
to show he did not do it for a living, called a taxicab, drove to the
Diocesan House and sent in his card to the Bishop of New York.

The Bishop was a judge of cards. He therefore received H. R. in his
study instead of the general waiting-room of which the decorative scheme
consisted of "In His Name" in old English and therefore safe from
perusal. It might as well have been, "Be Brief!"

"How do you do, Bishop Phillipson?" And H. R. held out his hand with
such an air of affectionate respect that the Bishop was sure he had
confirmed this distinguished-looking young man.

But the head of the diocese has to know more than theology.