saw them coming, chattering together in the
delightful fashion of women out on a spree. Helen seemed much younger
in the company of her companion. "A lining of pussy-willow taffeta and
an embroidered slip-on," she was saying.

Aubrey steered onto them with an admirable gesture of surprise.

"Well, I never!" said Mrs. Mifflin. "Here's Mr. Gilbert. Were you
coming to see Roger?" she added, rather enjoying the young man's
predicament.

Titania shook hands cordially. Aubrey, searching the old-style italics
with the desperate intensity of a proof-reader, saw no evidence of
chagrin at seeing him again so soon.

"Why," he said rather lamely, "I was coming to see you all. I--I
wondered how you were getting along."

Mrs. Mifflin had pity on him. "We've left Mr. Mifflin to look after
the shop," she said. "He's busy with some of his old crony customers.
Why don't you come with us to the movies?"

"Yes, do," said Titania. "It's Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew, you know how
adorable they are!"

No one needs to be told how quickly Aubrey assented. Pleasure
coincided with duty in that the outer wing of the party placed him next
to Titania.

"Well, how do you like bookselling?" he asked.

"Oh, it's the greatest fun!" she cried. "But it'll take me ever and
ever so long to learn about all the books. People ask such questions!
A woman came in this afternoon looking for a copy of Blase Tales. How
was I to know she wanted The Blazed Trail?"

"You'll get used to that," said Mrs. Mifflin. "Just a minute, people,
I want to stop in at the drug store."

They went into Weintraub's pharmacy. Entranced as he was by the
proximity of Miss Chapman, Aubrey noticed that the druggist eyed him
rather queerly. And being of a noticing habit, he also observed that
when Weintraub had occasion to write out a label for a box of powdered
alum Mrs. Mifflin was buying, he did so with a pale violet ink.

At the glass sentry-box in front of the theatre Aubrey insisted on
buying the tickets.

"We came out right after supper," said Titania as they entered, "so as
to get in before the crowd."

It is not so easy, however, to get ahead of Brooklyn movie fans. They
had to stand for several minutes in a packed lobby while a stern young
man held the waiting crowd in check with a velvet rope. Aubrey
sustained delightful spasms of the protective instinct in trying to
shelter Titania from buffets and pushings. Unknown to her, his arm
extended beh