Hippodrome this evening, you know."

"Call him up now, dear," suggested Aunt Betty from her corner. "Then
you and Jim can take a walk there this afternoon. Alfy and I can find
something to amuse ourselves with. We could take one of those stages
and ride up Fifth avenue on it. It's a fine ride on a nice day like
this."

"Very well," answered Dorothy, immediately going to the telephone, and
acting on her aunt's suggestion.

Jim and Aunt Betty sat quietly by till she had finished her
conversation at the telephone.

"Mr. Ludlow says that Ruth lives on Fifth avenue, near Washington
square, and it's a very large, old-fashioned boarding house run by an
elderly southern lady, who, being in very adverse circumstances, had
to take hold and do something. He said that the rooms were fairly
large, the meals first rate and the charges moderate, and that we had
better see her at once because she has usually a pretty full house,"
added Dorothy.

"Why not start at once, dear," replied Aunt Betty. "Then you can come
home and practice this afternoon, and as Alfy and I will be out there
will be nothing to distract you."

"Yes, let's go now, Dorothy, if you can spare the time to go with me,"
pleaded Jim. "Where is it near?"

"He says it is near Ninth street," replied Dorothy. "All right, Jim, I
will be ready in a few minutes. Oh dear," she sighed to herself,
"poor Frau will not get her letter very soon, I guess. Well, I can
write this afternoon, after I practice, and I will make the letter
extra long so as to make up for the time I have taken to write her."

"Good-bye, Aunt Betty," called Dorothy a short time later.

"Good-bye, Aunt Betty," echoed Jim. "We'll be back soon."

With that the two disappeared and Aunt Betty from her corner sighed as
she thought of what a charming pair the pretty Dorothy and the tall
youth made.

"Shall we ride?" asked Jim.

"No. Let's walk, it is not far, only a few blocks," said Dorothy.

"That's just what I wanted to do," replied Jim, "only I was most
afraid you would not care to. We haven't had a good walk in a long
time."

They walked on silently as the streets were so crowded and there was
lots to see, and the crossings required much attention, these two not
being used to the busy streets of New York, where one has to look in
all directions at once and keep moving lively to avoid being run into
by the many automobiles or trucks that are hurrying along.

Finally Dorothy, observing the num