box
was out of the question, for she knows to a dot how much there is of
everything, and I cannot take an olive that she does not miss it and come
and ask me if I took it, to avert suspicion from the ice-man.
Furthermore, it we both went out, she might suspect. And we had taught
her too heroic a lesson to go and spoil it by carelessness now.

"What shall we do?" murmured my husband.

"There's only one thing to do," I said, in low, even tones, with my book
before my face. "Go out and buy something ready cooked,--something which
leaves no trace,--something small enough to go into your overcoat pocket,
but oh, in the name of heaven, get enough!"

Mary came in as the outer door slammed.

"Where's boss gone?" she demanded. Perhaps it was only my guilty
conscience which made her tones sound suspicious.

"Just over to Columbus Avenue to get a paper," I said.

"Oh!"

I waited in a guilty and trembling silence for the Angel to return. What
if Mary should take it into her head to come and help him off with his
overcoat? She often did. I softly opened the outer door. If she didn't
hear him enter, all would be well.

Presently he came up. He got out of the elevator stealthily, and I met
him with my finger on my lip.

"Aren't you going to take off your hat?" I said, as he stole down the
corridor.

"Can't!" he whispered. "I've got cream puffs in it."

I only waited to ward off an attack from the rear. I put my head in at
the butler's pantry.

"Mary, I have such a headache that I am going to bed now, so be as quiet
as you can, won't you?"

"I'll come and open the bed for you right this instantaneous minute, my
poor dear child," she said, taking her hands out of the dish-water.

"No, I'll open it! I don't mind in the least," I said, eagerly.

"Not at all! Do you think I'll be letting you lift your hand when you're
sick?"

Finding that I could not prevent her, I hurried down the hall to discover
the Angel looking wildly for a place of escape--still with his hat on. I
motioned him into the bathroom, and his coat-tails disappeared therein,
just as Mary loomed into view.

It took her a full quarter of an hour to open that bed, for nothing would
do but she must unhook me. And all that time my thoughts were on the
cream puffs. I did hope that Aubrey would have sense enough to put them
on the wash-stand.

Finally I got rid of Mary, and released the Angel. He clanked as he came
in, but that was two pint