CHAPTER VIII

GLADYS IN A DOUBLE BILL

He meant well, Mr. Robert did; but, say, between you and me, he come
blamed near spillin' the beans. Course, I could see by the squint to
his eyelids that he's about to make what passes with him for a comic
openin'.

"I hate to do it, Torchy," says he, "especially on such a fine
afternoon as this."

"Go on," says I, "throw the harpoon! Got your yachtin' cap on, ain't
you? Well, have I got to sub for you at a directors' meeting or what?"

"Worse than that," says he. "You see, Marjorie and Ferdy are having a
veranda tea this afternoon, up at their country house."

"Help!" says I. "But you ain't billin' me for any such----"

"Oh, not exactly that," says he. "They can get along very well without
me, and I shall merely 'phone out that Tubby Van Orden has asked me to
help try out his new forty-footer. But there remains little Gladys.
I'd promised to bring her out with me when I came."

"Ye-e-e-es?" says I doubtful. "She's a little joker, eh?"

"Why, not at all," says he. "Merely a young school friend of
Marjorie's. Used to be in the kindergarten class when Marjorie was a