again
she's wearin' that whole dozen roses pinned over her heart. Vee nudges
me excited when she spots it.

"See, Torchy?" says she.

"Guess we've started something, eh?" says I.

Just what it was, though, we didn't know. I didn't get cold feet either,
until the concert is all over and the folks begun swarmin' around the
stage to pass over the hot-air congratulations.

But Miss Hampton wa'n't content to stand there quiet and take 'em. She
seems to have something on her mind, and the next thing I knew she was
pikin' down the steps right towards the middle aisle.

"Gee!" says I, grabbin' Vee by the arm. "Maybe she saw who passed 'em
up. Let's do the quick exit."

We was gettin' away as fast as we could too, squirmin' through the push,
when I looks over my shoulder and discovers that Miss Hampton is almost
on our heels.

"Good-night!" says I.

Believe me, I was doin' some high-tension thinkin' about then, tryin' to
frame up an alibi, when she reaches over my shoulder and holds out her
hand to someone leanin' against a pillar. It's Mr. Robert.

"How absurd of you, Robert!" says she.

"Eh! I--I beg pardon?" I hears him gasp out.

And, say, I expect that's the first and only time I've ever seen him
good and fussed. Why, he's flyin' the scarlatina signal clear to the
back of his neck!

"The roses, you know," she goes on. "So nice of you to remember me. I--I
thought you'd forgotten. Thank you for them."

"Roses?" says he husky, starin' stupid at the bunch.

Then he turns his head a bit, and his eyes light on me, strugglin' to
slip behind a tall female party who's bein' helped into her silk wrap. I
must have looked guilty or something; for he shoots me a crisp, knowin'
glance.

"Oh, yes--the--the roses," I hears him go on. "It was silly of me,
wasn't it? I--I'll explain some time, if I may."

"Oh!" says she. "Of course you may, if they really need explaining."

Which was the last we heard, as Vee had found an openin' into the
corridor and was dashin' out panicky. You can bet I follows!

"Did--did you ever?" pants Vee as we gets out to the carriage entrance.
"Now we have done it, haven't we?"

"And I'm caught with the goods on, I guess," says I.

"Just fancy!" says she. "Mr. Robert was there all the time. I wonder
what he will----"

"Pardon me, you pair of mischief makers," says a voice behind, "but I
haven't quite decided."

It's Mr. Robert!

"Hel-lup!" says I gaspy.

"Do I understand," he goes