"Don't you worry," said Miss Sissie, in that masterful way of hers. "Even if you're not able to turn out with the rest of them you're going to see the parade. I can't send you down-town in my own car--it's--it's broken down--and I can't go with you myself--I--I'm going to be busy. But I can send you in a taxicab with a careful man to drive and you can see the parade." "That's mighty sweet of you--but then, I reckin it's your nature to be sweet and thoughtful for other folks," he said gratefully. "But, ma'am"--and doubt crept into his voice--"but ain't all the public hacks likely to be engaged beforehand for today?" "I happen to know the manager of the leading taxicab company here," she told him. "He'll do what I say even if he has to take a rig away from somebody else. I'll telephone him." "But with the streets all crowded the way they'll be, won't it be hard to find a place where I can watch the other boys marching by?" In his eagerness he was childish. "That'll be arranged, too," she stated. "As it so happens, I also know the chief of police. I'll call him up and give him the number of the taxi you're in and I'll guarantee one of his policemen will be on the special lookout for you at the far end of the Drive to see to it that you get a good place somewhere along the route." "Seems like to me the most important people in this town must respect you mighty highly!" he exclaimed happily. "Well, I guess it's that same way everywhere--all kinds of people are bound to recognize a real lady when they meet her and look up to her!" "Oh, yes, there's one thing more." She added this as if by an afterthought. "You needn't tell anybody you meet--any of your old friends or any of the committeemen or anybody--where you're stopping. You see, I didn't arrange to take in any visitors for the reunion--there were reasons why I didn't care to take in anyone--and now that I have you with me I wouldn't care for anybody connected with the local arrangements to know about it. You understand, don't you?--they might think I was presuming on their rights." "Oh, yes'm, I understand," he said unsuspectingly. "It'll just be a little secret between us if that's the way you'd rather it was. But I couldn't rightly tell anybody anyhow--seeing that you ain't ever told me what your last name is. I'd like to know it, too--I aim to write you a letter after I get home." "My name is Lamprey," she said. "Cecelia Lamprey. I don't hear it very often myself--at least, not spoken out in full. And now I'd better be ringing up those influential friends of mine--you mustn't be late getting started." * * * * * The same taxicab driver who drove him on this day came again on the third day to take Miss Sissie's venerable house guest to his train. It would appear that her car still was out of commission.