minute more we were before the house again, and I handed Lemuel a
fistful of acorns. He drew back and threw them with all his
strength toward the upper window.

My dear, will you believe it? Those acorns were wormy! They
were light. They would not carry to the window, but scattered
like bits of chips when they had travelled but half-way. I was
upset, but Lemuel was not. He ordered the chauffeur to drive to
lower Sixth Avenue with all speed, in order that he might get a
baseball. With this he said he could hit any mark, and we had
started in that direction when, passing a restaurant on Broadway,
I saw emerge Henry and Madge.

"Better far," I said to myself, "put this young woman in charge
of her brother and his new wife than leave her to elope alone,"
and I made the chauffeur draw up beside them. Hastily I explained
the situation, and where we were going at that moment, and Henry
and Madge laughed in unison.

"Madge," said Henry, "we had no trouble making wormy acorns
travel through the air, had we?" And both laughed again. At this
I made them get into the automobile, and while we returned to the
lover's house I made them explain. It was very simple, and I had
just tied a dozen acorns tightly in my handkerchief, making a
ball to throw at the window, when the poor woman with the baby
noticed that the window was partly open. I asked Lemuel if he
could throw straight enough to throw the handkerchief-ball into
the window, and he said he could, and took the handkerchief, but
a brighter idea came to me, and I turned to the eloping young
lady.