; business appointments are always
important."

"I'll see you to-morrow mornin', and we'll fix up some swell party."

"Good night, Mr. Barker."

"So long, honey."

Directly after he departed Miss Ethyl bade her good night in cold,
cracky tones.

"The goin's-on in this parlor don't make it no place for a minister's
daughter, Miss Gertie Sprunt."

"Then you ought to be glad your father's a policeman," retorted her
friend, graciously. "Good night, dearie."

She hummed as she put her table in order. At each footstep down the
marble corridor her pulse quickened; she placed her cheeks in her hands,
vise-fashion, to feel of their unnatural heat. When Mr. Chase finally
came they met shyly and with certain restraint. Whispering together like
diffident children, they went out, their hands lightly touching.
Broadway was already alight; the cool spring air met them like tonic.

Like an exuberant lad, Mr. Chase led her to the curb. A huge,
mahogany-colored touring-car, caparisoned in nickel and upholstered in a
darker red, vibrated and snorted alongside. A chauffeur, with a striped
rug across his knees, reached back respectfully and flung open the door.
Like an automaton Gertrude placed her small foot upon the step and
paused, her dumfounded gaze confronting the equally stunned eyes of the
chauffeur. Mr. Chase aided and encouraged at her elbow.

"It's all right, dearest, it's all right; this is your surprise."

"Why," she gasped, her eyes never leaving the steel-blue shaved face of
the chauffeur--"why--I--"

Mr. Chase regarded her in some anxiety. "What a surprised little girl
you are! I shouldn't have taken you so unawares." He almost lifted her
in.

"This machine is yours, Mr. Chase?"

"Yes, dear, this machine is _ours_."

"You never told me anything."

"There is little to tell, Gertrude. I have not used my cars to amount to
anything since I'm back from Egypt. I've been pretty busy with affairs."

"Back from Egypt!"

"Do not look so helpless, dear. I'm only back three months from a trip
round the world, and I've been putting up with hotel life meanwhile.
Then I happened to meet you, and as long as you had me all sized up I
just let it go--that's all, dear."

"You're not the Mr. Adam Chase who's had the rose suite on the tenth
floor all winter?"

"That's me," he laughed.

Her slowly comprehending eyes did not leave his face.

"Why, I thought--I--you--"

"It was my use of the private elevator on the eas