on fund, though,
and Skeet was statin' his opinion of her reckless when the butler
interfered. Come near losin' Maggie her job, that little scene did; but
she promises faithful it sha'n't happen again, and was kept on.

"Blast her!" says Skeet to me later. "She's just as bad as the rest of
'em. They're all tightwads. Why, even the old lady runs me out now when
I happen to be carryin' the banner and can't come across with my little
old five of a Saturday night! I might starve in the streets for all they
care. But I'll show 'em some day. You'll see!"

Hanged if it don't look like he'd turned the trick too; for, as I've
hinted, Skeet is costumed like a lily of the field. But how he'd managed
to do it is what gets me. And for two days after that I wasted valuable
time tryin' to frame up just where in the gen'ral scheme of things a
party like Skeet Keyser could connect with real money. After that I gave
up the myst'ry and spent my spare minutes wonderin' if I could do this
"One-two-three--hold!" business as successful in public as I could while
them dancin' school fairies was drillin' it into my nut at one-fifty per
throw.

That's right, grin! But if you're billed to mingle in the merry throng
at a dance fest, you ain't goin' to trot out on the floor with any such
antique act as last season's Boston dip, are you? Might as well spring
the minuet. And specially when I'd had word that among others was to be
a certain party. Uh-huh! You can play it both ways too that Vee would be
up on the very latest, and if it was in me I meant to be right behind
her.

Was I? Say, maybe if I wa'n't so blamed modest I could give you an idea
of how Vee and I just naturally--but I can't do it. Besides, there's
other matters; the grand jolt that come early in the evenin', for
instance. It was after the second number, and I'd made a dash into the
gents' dressin' room to see if my white tie showed any symptoms of
ridin' up in the back, and I'd just strolled out into the entrance hall
again, watchin' the push straggle in, when who should show up through
the double doors but a tall, lanky young chap with lop ears and a nose
one was bound to remember.

It's Skeet Keyser; Skeet in shiny, thin-soled pumps, a pleated dress
shirt, black silk vest, and a top hat! He's bein' bowed in dignified by
the same butler, and is passed on to--well, it's a funny world, ain't
it? The maid on duty just inside the door happens to be Sister Maggie.
She has the respe