The spectator., 1921-10-04


 habit, he laid hat, stick and gloves on side table and then advanced l with tentatively outstretched hand.
 "Oh, how do you do?" asked Pa mela. rising and offering her hand. "No-won't you sit down?' Thank you; 1 will" He took the other end of the couch, crossed his legs in an effort to appear thoroughly at home. and gaZed almost furtively at the apparition before him. fe gods and heaps of datfodils, What Il vision of loveliness, of charm, grace. breeding, carriage and nur- tured beauty What a bubbling well of mirth; what a source of the light of youth that never fails: what an armfu of divine delight,
 "Er-I-er-told Mir. Mlyuns I'd call" said MT. Randolph.
 "Yes?" eagerly countered Miss Thornton
 'Er-I-said I'd be here at four" supplemented Mir. Randolph.
 Yes; he told me-" murmured Miss Thornton. not quite so ardently.
 'Er-it's just four now," stated Mir. Randolph
 'So it is" agreed Miss Thornton quite coolly. glancing at the clock and registering surprise-tone quite calm and dignified.
 A long silence interveneS The lady could easily break it. but won't. She has gathered somewhere that silence is often q club. Mir Randolph evil dently shares the intuition; he must say something and does.
 "Tve been very busy since l saw you last"
 How interesting"
 Yes: 1t has been--in spots. I've er-been studying the under side of the upper world through hole in the front glass of taxi. It has given me great idea"
 "RealIy?"
 Yes; I'm going to start the Man haitian Chaperoned Cab company"
 The what?" asked Miss Thornton, forced to show interest in the prepoa terous project in spite of the fact that
 
 wounded and the corners of her trem- ulous mouth were dropping farther ard farther south.
 "Chaperoned Cab company" repeat ed Mir Randolph. his broad browS pickering in serious thought over his wide blue syes 1t doesn't sound like . much of an idea until you follow it out. Would you like to have me eX- plain it to you:'
 "Oh. Cc--certainly."
 Well, il all hangs on an invention of my oWn-an attachment 10 the or dinary tayimeter of d miniature map of New York and vicinity and sort of seiSmic-need!e affair You set the needle on the point in the map corre- spending to where the cab starts from in--cr--rcal life. Wherever the cab goes. the needle shows the route in red ink on the map with a time signal of how long 1t stopped at any given house. park, storc-er-et cetera. Do you begin to get the idea?'
 "N--uo." said Miss Thornton.
 Just think minute. Tired old couple of conventional ideas and ac- tually beyond the age of dancing are in horror of sitting up all night watch ing daughter have a good time Send her in one of my cabs: the iuk-route will show just how straight she went to the party. how long she stayed, md how she came back. l forgot to mention the dictograph attachment in every vehicle Take another case Man married to T pretty and very young wife. Cant you hear him say, Yes. my d-d-dear; you can go any where if youll take Chaperoned Cab?"
 No. can't" said Miss Thornton, decisively. and stared meaningly a: the clock, as though she were worry iny over her next engagement.
 Mr. Randolph flushed. rose hastily, and possessed himself of hat. stick ane gloves.
 "I mustn't keep you" hc said. Eve got an appointment m about five min utes myself.
 She rose. an abSen.-minded look in her eyes, and accompanied him to the door of the room. He opened 1t and took his hand from the knob to shake good-by. Her hand reached out to- ward his listlcssly, as though 1t had become infected with the selfsame droop that had assailed the corners of her lips.
 May I-er-call again?'
 "Nov cried Pamela. snatched back her hand, threw both arms up against the doorjamb. dropped her curly head upon them. and burst into tears. Mir. Randolph's plntlnum-headed cane fell with clatter his gloves auttered to the floor. and his new top hat. emitting clucking. mirthful sound, hurtled across the room. In less time than it has taken to de- scribe these simultaneous events, he had seized the sobbing girl Tn his arms and was babblIng as follows: