locked him in. Then he proceeded to hunt for Miss Mazie
Villines until he got her into conversational connection with Mr.
Vandeford. They conversed in these words with great cordiality:

. . . . . .

"Want to earn a nice little two hundred for keeping Grant Howard working
at doctoring a play by next Friday for me?"

. . . . . .

"I'm giving him a thousand if it's delivered Friday."

. . . . . .

"Two hundred to you."

. . . . . .

"Not three!"

. . . . . .

"There's Claire Furniss. Grant had her at supper last night at Rector's.
She's a beauty, you know."

. . . . . .

"Two fifty."

. . . . . .

"Goes!"

. . . . . .

"Good! Come get him here at my office at eleven-fifteen. Get a taxi by
the hour at your stage-door--on me--and come by for him."

. . . . . .

"Good girl! By!"

* * * * *

"What a life!" Mr. Vandeford muttered to himself, then rang his buzzer
for Mr. Adolph Meyers.

"Pops, it's eight o'clock. Go get us a couple of slabs of pie at the
automat, and then I'll go over to see Breit at the booking office."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Vandeford," Mr. Meyers acquiesced, and departed in search
of provender for the lion and himself. Left to himself, Mr. Vandeford
fell into another trance, from which he was dragged by another tinkle of
his telephone.

"There'll be a wireless to my grave," he muttered as he took down the
receiver and snapped into it:

"This is Mr. Vandeford talking."

. . . . . .

"Oh, Miss Adair. Anything the matter?"

. . . . . .

"Speak a little closer into the phone. Miss Hawtry has asked you to
supper to-night? Mr. Farraday? And myself?"

. . . . . .

"Did she say I was to come for you?"

. . . . . .

"Do you know, I feel like a brute, but I'm going to tell you to go to
bed as per promise. I've got two big guns from Broadway putting licks on
the production of 'The Purple Slipper' until the small hours to-night,
right here in the office. I'll tell Miss Hawtry about it, and you
can--go to bed."

. . . . . .

"Oh, yes, she'll understand. It's her play too, you see."

. . . . . .

"No, you can't help me to-night, thank you just the same. How's Miss
Lindsey? Would you like me to send my car to take you girls for a little
spin in the park to cool off before you go to bed?"

. . . . . .

"Her hair's wet? And so is yours? I didn't know it was raining."

. . . . . .

"Oh, a mutual shampoo? Bless