he almost ran out of the room.

She went up-stairs to get her gloves. On second thought she called Ethel
on the telephone and invited her to luncheon at Jerry's.

He was waiting for her at the northeast corner table when she and Ethel
went in. Grace, who had been looking toward the southwest corner, where
the exit to the kitchen was, turned casually and saw him.

"There's Hendrik!" she said to Ethel.

He had not risen. He looked up casually now and approached them.

"I was born lucky," he told them, and shook hands with Grace. To Miss
Vandergilt he said, very seriously, "Are you Grace's friend?"

"I'm more than that," answered Ethel; "I am the best friend she's got."

"Then I am doubly lucky. I have a table, Ethel. I want you to be a
witness to the miracle." There was no reason why he should call Miss
Vandergilt by her first name. Even Ethel looked it. But H. R. merely
said: "Take this chair, Grace. Ethel--here."

"It seems to me--" began Grace, coldly.

"Your friends are my friends. The miracle, Ethel, is that I've promised
not to make love to Grace for a whole month--thirty days; forty-three
thousand two hundred precious wasted minutes!"

"Don't you sleep?" interjected Ethel, curiously.

"My poor carcass does, but not my thoughts of her. Now let us eat and be
miserable."

It was a wonderful luncheon. H. R. let them do all the talking. He was
at his coffee when Ethel mentioned her mother.

"Ah, yes!" said H. R. "By the way, has Grace told her?"

"Told her what?"

Grace caught his eye and shook her head with a frown.

"Very well, dear girl," he said to her. To Ethel he explained, "She
doesn't wish me to tell you of her plan."

"Oh, do! Please!" said Ethel, eagerly.

"I'm in training for the position of her husband, Ethel," H. R. told
her. "She says no--that's all; plain no!"

"Grace, tell him to tell me!" said Ethel.

"Shall I, Grace?" smiled H. R.

Ethel looked at her and smiled. It made Grace so furious that she said:

"I have no control over his speech."

"Then, Ethel, it is only that Grace has a plan for a suffrage campaign
that--well, it isn't for me to boast of her strategy; but it's a sure
winner. I thought she would tell your mother."

"It doesn't interest me," said Grace, very coldly, being hot within.

"It will after you're married," observed Ethel, sagely.

"That depends on whom I marry," said Grace, casually.

"So it does," assented H. R., calmly.

"I agree with Hendrik," sa