a crowd of men locked into his den until two, talking. Didn't
Harry know about it?"

"What were they doing?"

"Just talking. The Colonel and I don't know who else. I heard two
strange voices, and I didn't hear Harry's voice. Didn't Harry know?"

"I suppose so. What did they talk about?"

"Campaign stuff--prohibition or something. Cliff wouldn't tell me."

"Was Teddy Burr there?"

"I didn't hear him. What do you care?"

"I don't care."

"If Harry didn't know, I ought not to have told you, but I can't help it
now."

"Edith, don't go. Wait."

"I can't. I have this next with my Lord, too. I'm going to sit it out in
the library and meet him inside. The duchess is getting jealous.
Besides, there comes the dragon." Judge Saxon, looking shabby and old
and tired, was making a circuitous way toward them. "Let me go. Oh,
darling--" she put her small, flushed face suddenly close to her
friend's to ask the question, and after it, fluttered away without
waiting for the answer, leaving the echo of her pretty, empty laugh
behind--"why didn't Judith come? What's the real reason? Has anybody
been making trouble for her here? Never mind. You needn't tell me.
Good-bye."

Mrs. Randall closed her eyes and pressed two fingers against her temples
for a moment, and then looked up with almost her usual welcoming smile
at Judge Saxon, who had come close to her, and stood looking down at her
keenly with his kind, near-sighted, blue eyes.

"Hiding?" he said. "Tired?"

"Not hiding from you. Take care of me."

"Minna," he decided, "you little girls aren't so nice to me unless
you're in wrong somehow and feel sorry for yourselves. What's the
matter? Where's Harry?"

"Inside somewhere. Don't ask me any more questions. I've answered all I
can to-night."

"All right. I'll just sit here and enjoy the view and keep the other
boys away."

The view was hardly one to promote unmixed enjoyment. The two settled
into a friendly silence in their corner, broken by an occasional quiet
word in the Judge's intimate, drawling voice. Around them the temper of
the party was changing, and a series of little signs marked the general
change. More men crowded into the smoking-room between dances, and they
stayed longer. Mrs. Grant left first according to her established
privilege, and a scattering of other guests followed her. Nobody seemed
to miss them or to be conspicuously happier without them. There was a
heavy, dull look about the passing faces