'But don't you see, Hump, Mrs MacPherson saw her coming out. She'd been snooping. Musta heard some of it. That's why Mamie hung around for me yesterday noon.' 'Oh, she hung around?' Henry swallowed, and nodded. 'That's why I slipped out again after lunch yesterday. I didn't want to tell you.' 'Naturally. A man's little flirtations----' 'But wait, Hump! She was excited about it. And she seemed to think it was up to me, somehow. I couldn't get rid of her.' 'Well, of course----' 'She made me promise to see her last night----' 'But--wait a minute!--last night----' 'This was the first part of the evening. She made me promise to rent Murphy's tandem----' 'Hm! you _were_ going it!' 'And we rode up the shore a ways.' 'Then you didn't hear all of the musicale?' 'No. She wanted to go up to Hoffmann's Garden. So we went there----' 'But good lord, that's six miles---' 'Eight. You can do it pretty fast with a tandem. The place was jammed. I felt just sick about it. The waiter made us walk clear through, past all the tables. I coulda died. You see, Mamie, she--but I had to be a sport, sorta.' 'Oh, you had to go through with it, of course.' 'Sure! I _had_ to. It was awful.' 'Anybody there that knew you?' Henry's colour rose and rose. He gazed down intently at the remnant of a cream puff; pushed it about with his fork. Then his lips formed the word, 'Yes.' Humphrey considered the problem. 'Well,' he finally observed, 'after all, what's the harm? It may embarrass you a little. But most fellows pick up a girl now and then. It isn't going to kill anybody.' 'Yes, but'--Henry's emotions seemed to be all in his throat to-night; he swallowed--'but it--well, Martha was there.' 'Oh--Martha Caldwell?' 'Yes. And Mary Ames and her mother. They were with Mr Merchant's party.' 'James B., Junior?' 'Yes. They drove up in a trap. I saw it outside. We weren't but three tables away from them. They saw everything. Mamie, she----' 'After all, Hen. It's disturbing and all that, but you were getting pretty tired of Martha----' 'It isn't that, Hump 1 I don't know that I was. I get mixed. But it's the shame, the disgrace. The Ameses have been down on me anyway, for something that happened two years ago. And now...! And Martha, she's--well, can't you see, Hump? It's just as if there's no use of my trying to stay in this town any longer. They'll all be down on me now. They'll whisper about me. They're doing it now. I feel it when I walk up Simpson Street. They're going to mark me for that kind of fellow, and I'm not.' His face sank into his hands. Humphrey considered him; said, 'Of course you're not;' considered him further. Then he said, reflectively: 'It's unpleasant, of course, but I'll confess I can't see that what you've told me justifies the words “shame” and “disgrace.” They're strong words, my boy. And as for leaving town... See here, Hen | Is there anything you haven't told me?' The bowed head inclined a little farther.