difficulty about my dinner, and called up to see if your sister couldn't
help me out. Miss Mayo has failed me. Her sister has had an accident, and
she cannot leave her. She has just 'phoned me, and I don't know what to
do. Isn't Cornelia at home? Couldn't you persuade her to come and help me
out? She would have been invited in Miss Mayo's place if she had not told
me that she expected to go to Boston this week. But she changed her plans,
didn't she? Isn't she where you could reach her by 'phone and beg her to
come and help me out? You see, it's a very particular dinner, and I've
made all my arrangements."

"Well, now, that's too bad, Mrs. Bowman," began the young man, thinking he
saw a way out of both their difficulties. "I'm sorry Cornelia isn't here.
I'm sure she would do anything in her power to help you. But she and
mother were to dine in Chestnut Hill to-night, and they must have left the
house half an hour ago. I'm afraid she's out of the question. Suppose you
leave me out? You won't have any trouble then except to take two plates
off the table"--he laughed pleasantly--"and you would have even couples.
You see," he hastened to add, as he heard Mrs. Parker Bowman's preliminary
dissent--"you see, Mrs. Bowman, I'm in somewhat of a predicament myself.
My train was late, and as I left the station I happened to meet a young
woman--a--a friend." (He reflected rapidly on the old proverb, "A friend
in need is a friend indeed." In that sense she was a friend.) "She is
temporarily separated from her friends, and is a stranger in the city. In
fact, I'm the only acquaintance or friend she has, and I feel rather under
obligation to see her to her hotel and look up trains for her. She leaves
the city to-night."

"Now, look here, Tryon Dunham, you're not going to leave me in the lurch
for any young woman. I don't care how old an acquaintance she is! You
simply bring her along. She'll make up my number and relieve me