gnity.

"Why! Why, Miss Mabel!" he stammered, with almost human agitation.
"What--"

A voice, a petulant female voice, called from the head of the stairs.

"Johnson," it quavered, "who is it? Mabel, is that you?"

The library door flew open and Mr. Colton himself appeared.

"Eh? What?" he exclaimed. "By George! Mabel, where have you been? I have
been raising heaven and earth to locate you. The 'phone seems to be out
of order and--Great Scott, girl! you're wet through. Jenkins, what--?
Hey? Why, it isn't Jenkins!"

The fact that his daughter's escort was not the coachman had just dawned
upon him. He stared at me in irate bewilderment. Before he could ask
a question or his daughter could speak or explain there came a little
shriek from the stairs, a rustle of silken skirts, and a plump,
white-faced woman in an elaborate house gown rushed across the hall with
both white arms outstretched.

"Mabel!" she cried, "where HAVE you been. You poor child! I have been
almost beside myself, and--"

Miss Colton laughingly avoided the rush. "Take care, Mother," she
warned. "I am very wet."

"Wet? Why! you're absolutely drenched! Jenkins--Mabel, where is Jenkins?
And who is this--er--person?"

I thought it quite time for me to withdraw.

"Good night, Miss Colton," I said, and stepped toward the door. But "Big
Jim" roared my name.

"It's that--it's Paine!" he exclaimed. "Here! what does this mean,
anyway?"

I think his daughter was about to explain, when there came another
interruption. From the driveway sounded the blare of an auto horn.
Johnson threw open the door just as the big car whirled up to the porch.

"Here we are!" laughed Carver, emerging from behind the drawn curtains
of the machine. "Home again from a foreign shore. Come in, fellows, and
have a drink. We've had water enough for one night. Come in."

He stumbled as he crossed the sill, recovered his balance, laughed, and
then all at once seemed to become aware of the group in the hall. He
looked about him, swaying a little as he did so.

"Ah, Mabel!" he exclaimed, genially. "Got here first, didn't you? Sorry
I was late, but it was all old Parker's fault. Wouldn't let us say
goodby. But we came some when we did come. The bridge is down and we
made Oscar run her right through the water. Great ex-experience. Hello!
Why, what's matter? Who's this? What? it's Reuben, isn't it! Mabel, what
on earth--"

She paid no attention to him. I was at the door when she