it was not worth while
interrupting him. My name is Carr, and I am on the _World_. There was
just an ordinary question or two I was going to put to your uncle, but
you can answer them just as well if you will."

"You mean you are a reporter?" she asked.

"That's it," he assented. "Odd sort of life in a way, because it sends
us round seeking sometimes for the most trivial information. For
instance, your uncle had a dinner-party to-night, and I have stepped
round for a list of the guests."

"I do not see," she answered slowly, "what possible concern that can be
of your paper's."

He smiled indulgently.

"Ah, Miss Longworth!" he said, "you have just come from the country, I
believe. You do not understand the way we do things in New York. Your
uncle is a famous man, and the public who buy papers to-day are dead
keen upon knowing even the most trifling things that such men do. In
fact, I have been sent all the way up from down town simply to find out
that simple matter. Of course, I could have asked the servants, but we
always prefer to get our information from one of the family where
possible. Now, let me see. Mr. Weiss was here, of course?"

Virginia hesitated, but only for a moment.

"If you really wish for these details," she said, "you must ask my
uncle. I do not care to tell you."

"But say, isn't that rather rough upon your uncle?" he asked doubtfully.
"We can't bother him with every little thing. Surely there can be
nothing indiscreet in your giving me the names of your guests. Most
people send them to the papers themselves."

"I do not know," Virginia said, "whether my uncle would wish me to do
so. In any case, I shall do nothing without his consent."

The young man frowned slightly. This was not to be so easy as he
thought.

"Well," he said, "I can get the names from your servants, without
bothering your uncle. Must be rather interesting for you, Miss
Longworth, to hear these famous men talk,"

She shook her head.

"I do not understand one half of what they say," she answered, "but what
I do understand doesn't sound in the least wonderful."

He smiled appreciatively.

"I can quite understand that," he said; "but there must have been some
of the conversation that you understood. For instance, the Anti-Trust
Bill that is coming before the House in a few weeks. They ought to have
said some interesting things about that."

Virginia moved calmly across the room, and before the young man had
percei