hly, and Flora laughed a low, tantalizing laugh, and
crept back to him to lean her head on his shoulder, and lay her arms
around his neck.

I turned and fled. I fairly stampeded down the hall, running full tilt
against Aubrey, and nearly folding him up.

"Oh! Oh!" I gasped, dancing up and down before him excitedly.

He seized both my hands.

"Hold still, Faith! What's the matter? Tell me!"

"They're engaged!" I wailed. "I'm too late! Cary has lost him!"

"Who?"

"Artie and Flora."

"What makes you think so?"

"He's kissing her! And she asked him to, just as if she had a right.
I would not think so much of it, if he had just grabbed her and kissed
her without a word, for she looks too witching, and any man might lose
his head, but for her to ask for it--oh, what shall I do!"

"Hold on! You say she asked him to--tell me just how."

I told him.

The Angel put both hands in his pockets and whistled.

"Don't worry," he said. "They're not engaged."

I felt relieved at once, for the Angel does not write books from
guesswork. He _knows_ things.

But I was greatly confused at going back. Of course they did not know
that I had seen and heard, and equally, of course, I could not tell
them. But I had my confusion all to myself. Artie seemed about as
usual (which he wouldn't have done if he had known that there was
powder on his coat), and Flora was as cool as an iceberg.

It seems to me, as I look back, that that was the first time I
suspected anything. It was almost uncanny to see her sitting there
looking so shy and demure, when two minutes before she had begged a man
to kiss her, and laughed that cool, tantalizing laugh, as of one who
knew her power and revelled in the sight of her victim's struggles to
escape.

I turned to Cary, my well-bred girl, my friend, with a feeling of
relief, as if I had found a refuge. Cary flushed a little as she
greeted Artie, and Flora's lip curled perceptibly.

I glanced at the Angel, and saw that he, too, had noticed it. But
then, Aubrey sees everything. That is why he writes as he does. His
manner as he greeted Cary was so cordial that it caused Artie to look
up, and then, to my surprise, Artie got up from his chair, and came and
stood by Cary and took her fan.

I wish you could have seen Flora's blue eyes turn green.

Then Bee and the Jimmies came, and, as usual, I straightway forgot
everything else, and bent my energies toward playing the part of
hos