ance.

Phil did not discover this until after he had reached the hotel. Ha
wanted his meeting with Mary to be as great a surprise to her as it had
been the day he met her coming across the field of blue-bonnets in
Bauer. But he also wanted to be sure of finding her at home when he
called. So while he waited for his late luncheon to be served, he walked
into the telephone booth and called up the boarding-house. Mrs. Crum
took his message, with the answer that Miss Ware had not been at the
house for over a week. She had been so busy that she was spending her
nights as well as her days with Mrs. Blythe, and probably would not
return to her room for another week. She advised him to call up Mr.
Dudley Blythe's residence.

The maid answered his ring at that place, and asked that he leave a
message for Mrs. Blythe, who was resting and could not be disturbed, as
she was to speak at the Opera House in a little while. Miss Ware? No,
the maid could not say where she was, but had heard her say something
had happened which called her down on Myrtle Street. She knew that Mrs.
Blythe had arranged to meet her there in her auto on her way to the
Opera House. Probably they would be back about six o'clock.

Phil hung up the receiver impatiently. He hadn't come all the way from
Mexico to listen to a speech on housing reform, but, under the
circumstances, he had no other choice if he was to find Mary before
dark. Then he laughed outright, thinking of her amazement if she should
happen to catch sight of him in the audience. He supposed she would
naturally sit near the front, and he could easily locate her. He didn't
dare run the risk of suddenly sitting down beside her. One never knew
what Mary would say or do when very much surprised. It would be better
to send an usher with a note, asking her to meet him at the entrance and
then--well, Mary should decide how and where they should spend the rest
of the afternoon together. It was a chilly, gray day in early November,
a trifle cold either for an auto spin or a ride on the river. But they
must go to some place where they could have a long, uninterrupted talk,
and he could tell her all he had come to Riverville to say.

With his pulses quickening at the thought, he left the hotel for a brisk
walk along the river, until time to go to the place of meeting.

Meanwhile Mary was having an exciting experience down at Diamond Row. A
message had called her there just as they arose from the lunch-ta