In University Hall that Saturday night a man with steel-blue eyes, a white imperial and a single set of gestures, lectured on "The Reconstruction of the South." Having been an active and successful carpet-bagger twenty-five years before, he had played a part of some importance in the rehabilitation of the Southland and was qualified to speak with authority on the subject. The immense hall was but partially filled. The lecture was very dry and very uninteresting, save when, now and again a rolling period crowded with platitudes and false metaphors, was delivered by the pompous person on the rostrum. Wilma found herself finally attempting to repeat backward the clause from the Ordinance of '37 which stared down at her from the arch of the stage. "Religion, morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged----" She tapped her knee with her fan and moved her lips. "Encouraged be forever shall education of means the and----" She floundered. She tried again as so many others have tried and with no more success. She tapped her knee angrily, and nudged the sleepy Bunny at her side. "Let's get out," she whispered. He nodded. They were sitting on the aisle at the back. It was but a step to the door. He followed her, noiselessly. In the broad, silent corridor she looked up at him with a smile. "I simply couldn't stand it another minute," she said. As they issued into the moonlight she drew in a full, long breath and asked: "Why should any one want to sit indoors on such a night? It's--it's a _crime_!" She was very tiny beside him; he was very awkward beside her. "The long and the short of it," they were called by those who knew them best. She was wont to defend their friendship by saying she detested little men, whilst he complained that great, tall, awkward women he abhorred. "Well, if you're both satisfied," Nibs, her brother, said one day after half an hour of teasing; "I guess the public ought to be." Their friendship had grown from the chance meeting on the day of the State Street race when Nibsey defeated Billy Shaw and then was so ignominiously defeated by the lank creature who now was his, as well as his sister's, closest friend and constant companion. That day their eyes had met--Bunny's and the girl's--across a carriage seat. Only for an instant though it was, each remembered the instant; Wilma with a certain indefinite anger, Bunny with a very definite desire that one day he might meet the owner of the eyes.