ances. So now--couldn't I
run away with you--and then write and tell him?"

The Cornelius Allendyce who had lived up to that moment of crossing the
threshold of this fifth-floor witchery would have scorned such a
suggestion as "ridiculous! ridiculous!" But the Cornelius Allendyce of
the lavender tie saw mad possibilities in such a step. Take the girl to
Gray Manor and settle with Mr. James Forsyth afterwards.

[Illustration: "COULDN'T I RUN AWAY WITH YOU?"]

"Couldn't I?"

"Why--yes, if you think your father would accept the situation--when he
knew."

"Oh, I'd tell him he _had_ to, that he must go away with Mr. Tony. And
he'd go. But, Mr. Allendyce--I couldn't go tonight. I just couldn't let
Jimmie come back with the ice cream and cake and maybe a pumpkin pie
and--not find me here. Our parties are such fun. If you'll come tomorrow
at three o'clock--I'll be ready. But what will the Dragon say when she
sees that I'm a girl?"

Mr. Allendyce suddenly laughed aloud. The whole thing was so very
simple. Madame only waited a telegram from him to set forth upon her
travels. Why let her know that Gordon was a girl until the year had
passed?

"We will not worry about that, my dear. Madame is going away. She will
not be back at Gray Manor for a long time. I will call at
three--tomorrow. I trust you will make your Jimmie understand. You know
this is a very unusual step--there are some who might call it
abduction--"

"Oh, Jimmie wouldn't!" assured Robin. "Not when I tell him why I'm
running away."

Robin had answered him so indifferently that Cornelius Allendyce felt her
mind was working out a plan for the morrow. He gave a last look about
the room as though he wished to carry away a perfect impression of it,
then patted the girl on the shoulder.

"Here is my card and the telephone number of my office. If you decide
that this step is--too irregular, if perhaps we ought to talk with your
father first--"

"No! No!" cried Robin. "That would spoil everything!"

Down in the street Cornelius Allendyce waved off a persistent taxi
driver, deciding that he needed the vent of exercise to bring him back
to earth. And as he hurried along he felt a curious elation, as though
for the first time he enjoyed a zest in living. As a lawyer his life had
been necessarily cut-and-dried; there had been little room for
adventuring. And now, in a brief half-hour, he had let himself into the
wildest sort of conspiracy. (He stopped suddenly an