The Mystery of Mary | Page 4

a word. Just tell her that she needn't
stand on ceremony. Your mother and I are too old friends for that. Any
friend of yours is a friend of mine, and my house is open to her. She
won't mind. These girls who have travelled a great deal learn to step
over the little formalities of calls and introductions. Tell her I'll call on
her afterwards, if she'll only remain in town long enough, or I'll come
and take dinner with her when I happen to be in her city. I suppose
she's just returned from abroad--they all have--or else she's just
going--and if she hasn't learned to accept things as she finds them, she
probably will soon. Tell her what a plight I'm in, and that it will be a

real blessing to me if she'll come. Besides--I didn't mean to tell you--I
meant it for a surprise, but I may as well tell you now--Judge Blackwell
is to be here, with his wife, and I especially want you to meet him. I've
been trying to get you two together for a long time."
"Ah!" breathed the young man, with interest. "Judge Blackwell! I have
wanted to meet him."
"Well, he has heard about you, too, and I think he wants to meet you.
Did you know he was thinking of taking a partner into his office? He
has always refused--but that's another story, and I haven't time to talk.
You ought to be on your way here now. Tell your friend I will bless her
forever for helping me out, and I won't take no for an answer. You said
she'd just returned from abroad, didn't you? Of course she's musical.
You must make her give us some music. She will, won't she? I was
depending on Miss Mayo for that this evening."
"Well, you might be able to persuade her," murmured the distracted
young man at the 'phone, as he struggled with one hand to untie his
necktie and unfasten his collar, and mentally calculated how long it
would take him to get into his dress suit.
"Yes, of course. You'd better not speak of it--it might make her decline.
And don't let her stop to make any changes in her dress. Everybody will
understand when I tell them she's just arrived--didn't you say?--from
the other side, and we caught her on the wing. There's some one
coming now. Do, for pity's sake, hurry, Tryon, for my cook is terribly
cross when I hold up a dinner too long. Good-by. Oh, by the way, what
did you say was her name?"
"Oh--ah!" He had almost succeeded in releasing his collar, and was
about to hang up the receiver, when this new difficulty confronted him.
"Oh, yes, of course; her name--I had almost forgotten," he went on
wildly, to make time, and searched about in his mind for a name--any
name--that might help him. The telephone book lay open at the r's. He
pounced upon it and took the first name his eye caught.

"Yes--why--Remington, Miss Remington."
"Remington!" came in a delighted scream over the phone. "Not
Carolyn Remington? That would be too good luck!"
"No," he murmured distractedly; "no, not Carolyn. Why, I--ah--I
think--Mary--Mary Remington."
"Oh, I'm afraid I haven't met her, but never mind. Do hurry up, Tryon.
It is five minutes of seven. Where did you say she lives?" But the
receiver was hung up with a click, and the young man tore up the steps
to his room three at a bound. Dunham's mind was by no means at rest.
He felt that he had done a tremendously daring thing, though, when he
came to think of it, he had not suggested it himself; and he did not quite
see how he could get out of it, either, for how was he to have time to
help the girl if he did not take her with him?
Various plans floated through his head. He might bring her into the
house, and make some sort of an explanation to the servants, but what
would the explanation be? He could not tell them the truth about her,
and how would he explain the matter to his mother and sister? For they
might return before he did, and would be sure to ask innumerable
questions.
And the girl--would she go with him? If not, what should he do with
her? And about her dress? Was it such as his "friend" could wear to one
of Mrs. Parker Bowman's exclusive dinners? To his memory, it seemed
quiet and refined. Perhaps that was all that was required for a woman
who was travelling. There it was again! But he had not said she was
travelling, nor that she had just returned from abroad, nor that she was a
musician. How could