There was no vanity back of these premises. Cutty was merely reaching

about for an expedient to thwart what to his anticipatory mind promised

to be an inevitability. Of course the glamour would not last; it never

did, but he felt he could sustain it until yonder chap was off and away.

That evening at five-thirty Kitty received a box of beautiful roses,

with Cutty's card.

"Oh, the lovely things!" she cried.

She kissed them and set them in a big copper jug, arranged and

rearranged them for the simple pleasure it afforded her. What a dear

man this Cutty was, to have thought of her in this fashion! Her father's

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friend, her mother's, and now hers; she had inherited him. This thought

caused her to smile, but there were tears in her eyes. A garden some

day to play in, this mad city far away, a home of her own; would it ever

happen?

The bell rang. She wasn't going to like this caller for taking her away

from these roses, the first she had received in a long time--roses she

could keep and not toss out the window. For it must not be understood

that Kitty was never besieged.

Outside stood a well-dressed gentleman, older than Cutty, with shrewd,

inquiring gray eyes and a face with strong salients.

"Pardon me, but I am looking for a man by the name of Stephen Gregory. I

was referred by the janitor to you. You are Miss Conover?"

"Yes," answered Kitty. "Will you come in?" She ushered the stranger into

the living room and indicated a chair. "Please excuse me for a moment."

Kitty went into her bedroom and touched the danger button, which would

summon Bernini. She wanted her watchdog to see the visitor. She returned

to the living room. "What is it you wish to know?"

"Where I may find this Gregory."

"That nobody seems able to answer. He was carried away from here in an

ambulance; but we have been unable to locate the hospital. If you will

leave your name--"

"That is not necessary. I am out of bounds, you might say, and I'd

rather my name should be left out of the affair, which is rather

peculiar."

"In what way?"

"I am only an agent, and am not at liberty to speak. Could you describe

Gregory?"

"Then he is a stranger to you?"

"Absolutely."

Kitty described Gregor deliberately and at length. It struck her that

the visitor was becoming bored, though he nodded at times. She was glad

to hear Bernini's ring. She excused herself to admit the Italian.




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