University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-06-25

than ever, in her cheek flush of ex.
citement no doubt put there by tn,
most important luncheon of her life
He waited for her to recognize him
and he did not wait in vain.
"Ah, Mr."
"Minot."s
"Cf course. In the hurry of this
noon l quite overlooked an introduc-
ton. | am"
Miss Cynthia Meyrick. l happen
to know because | met his lordship
in New York. May l ask-was the
luncheon
Quite without a flaw So you know
Lord Harrowby?"
"Er-slightly. May ! offer my very
best wishes?'
so good of you"
Formal, formal, formal. Was that
how 1t must be between them here
after? Well, it was better so. Miss
Meyrick presented her father and her
aunt. and that did not tend to tighten
the formality. lcicles, both of them,
though stocky putting icicles. Aunt
inquired il Mr.. Minot was related to
the Minots of Detroit, and when he
failed to qualify. at once lost all in
terest in him. Old Spencer Meyrick
did not accord him even that much
attention.
Yet-all was not formal, as it hap
pened. For as Cynthia Meyrick
moved away, she whispered: 81 must
see you after dinher-on important
business" And her smile as she said
it made Minot's own lonely dinner
quite CHEEKY.
At seven in the evening the hote.
orchestra gathered in the lobby for
its nightly concert, and after the way
of Orchestras, it was almost ready
to begin when Minot left the dining
room at eight. Sitting primly in
straight backed chairs, an audience
gathered for the most part from the
more inexpensive hostelries waited
patiently. Presumably these people
were there for an hour with music,
lovely maid. But it was the gowns
of more material maids that interest
ed the greater number of them, and
many drab little women sat making
furtive mental notes that should while
away the hours cOnversationally when
they got back to Akron or Terre
Haute.
Minot sat down in a veranda chair
and looked out at the courtyard. In
the splendor of its evening colors, it
was indeed the setting for romance
In the midst of the green palms and
blooming things splashed a fountain
which might we'll have been the one
old Ponce de Leon sought On three
sides the lighted towers and turrets
of that huge hotel climbed toward the
bright. warm southern sky. A daz-
zling moon shamed Mr.. Edison's
lamps, the breeze came tepid from
the sea, the very latest in waltZes
drifted out from the gorgeous lobby.
Here romance, Minot thought, must
have been born.
"Mr. Minot-Pve been looking ev-
erywhere-"
She was beside him now, a slim
white figure in the dusk-the one
thing lacking in that glittering pic
ture. He leaped to meet her.
Sitting here dreaming, | reckon"
she whispered, "of somebody far
away"
"No." He shook his head. II leave
that to the newly engaged"
She made no answer He gave her
MS chair, and drew up another for
himself.
"Mr. Minot," she said, 81 was terri
bly, thoughtless this noon. But you
must forgive mel was so excited. |
Mr.. Minot-I owe you"
She hesitated. Minot bit his lip
'avagely. Must he heard all that
sgain? How much she owed him for
lis service-for getting her to that
luncheon in time-that wonderful
Il owe you," finished the girl soft
y, "the charges on that taxi"
1t was something Of a shock to Mi
lot. Was she making game of him?
Don't" he answered. Here in
he moonlight, with that waltz play
ng, and the old palms Whispering
5 this a time to talk of taxi bills?"
"But-we must talk of something
h, / mean-I insist. Won't you
lease tell me the figure?"
"All the time we were together this
| talked fgures-the figures
n the face of watch. Let us find