"Why, nearly every day."

She was a mischievous newsmonger, and was keenly wondering what
the effect of her words would be.

"Who did he come to see?" asked the drummer, incredulously.

"Mrs. Drouet."

He looked rather foolish at this answer, and then attempted to
correct himself so as not to appear a dupe.

"Well," he said, "what of it?"

"Nothing," replied the girl, her head cocked coquettishly on one
side.

"He's an old friend," he went on, getting deeper into the mire.

He would have gone on further with his little flirtation, but the
taste for it was temporarily removed. He was quite relieved when
the girl's named was called from below.

"I've got to go," she said, moving away from him airily.

"I'll see you later," he said, with a pretence of disturbance at
being interrupted.

When she was gone, he gave freer play to his feelings. His face,
never easily controlled by him, expressed all the perplexity and