Ferdinand made his Exit, much peeved, and the Friend expressed a Hope that she had arrived in time to throw the Switch and avert the Wrecking of a Life. Far be it from her to Snitch, but it was her Duty to put Adele wise to what every one was whispering Under Cover. She had no absolute Proof that he had carried on with a Front Row Floss in New Haven, but it was Common Talk that one of his Uncles had been a Regular at a Retreat where the Doctor shoots a Precious Metal into the Arm. It would be terrible to marry someone and then find out that he Drank, the same as all the other Married Men. Leaving Adele in a Deep Swoon, the true Friend hurried to the nearest Public 'Phone to spread the dismal Tidings. In the meantime the elated Lover had loped all the way to the University club to spring it on the Navajos and receive their Felicitations. His Rapture had rendered him fairly incoherent, and he was gurgling like an after-dinner Percolator; but he finally made it evident that he had been Hooked. A deep Silence ensued, most of those present looking out the Window at the passing Traffic. Finally a Shell-Back, who had been leading a Life of Single Torment ever since Sumter was fired upon, asked in a sepulchral Tone and without looking up from his Hand, "Has the Date been set?" Ferdinand tried to tell them that he was going to the Altar and not to the Electric Chair, but he couldn't get a single Slap on the Back. The only one evincing Interest was a He-Hen named Herbert, who took him into the Cloak-Room to plant a few Canadian Thistles in the Garden of Love. Herb said he had always liked the Girl, even if she had given a couple of his Best Pals the Whillykathrow. His Advice was to up and marry her before she had time to pull one of her temperamental Stunts and hand out the Rinkaboo. Possibly if she could be weaned away from her eccentric Relations and governed with a Firm Hand she would turn out O. K.. Still, it was a tall Gamble. Under the Circumstances, he didn't see that there was anything for Ferdinand to do except mop up a few Drinks and hope for the Best. When Ferdy looked at himself in the Mirror at Midnight, he didn't know whether he was Engaged or merely operating under a Suspended Sentence. Next morning he had to bare his Soul to the Head of the Firm. This revered Fluff should have been known as Mr. Yes-But. He was strong for the Married State, but it was highly advisable to have the Girl analyzed by a Chemist and passed upon by a Board of Experts before a Bid was submitted. The Sunflower Paths of Dalliance were leading mostly to Reno, Nevada, and the Article commonly known as Love was merely a disinclination to continue eating Breakfast alone.