And she breaks down with as bad a case of rattles as I ever see. She's a nice lookin', modest appearin' young woman, too, a little soft about the mouth, but more or less classy in her lines. Her hair is some mussed, and there's sort of a wild, desp'rate look in her eyes. "A near relative, I presume?" suggests Pinckney, noddin' at the gent, who's takin' it all cool enough. "Oh, yes, sir," gasps out the governess. "My husband, sir." And the gent, he bows as easy and natural as if he was bein' introduced at an afternoon tea party. "Glad to know you," says he, stickin' out his hand, which Pinckney, bein' absent-minded just then, fails to see. "Really!" says Pinckney, lookin' the governess up and down. "Then it's not Miss Marston, but Mrs.--er----" "Yes," says she, lettin' her chin drop, "Mrs. Marston." "Very unfortunate," says Pinckney, "very!" "Haw, haw, haw!" breaks out the strange gent, slappin' his knee. "I say now, but that's a good one, that is, even if it is at my expense! Unfortunate, eh? Perfectly true though, perfectly true!" Now it takes a lot to get Pinckney going; but for a minute all he does is turn and size up this husband party with the keen sense of humor. I had my mouth open and my eyes bugged too; for he don't look the part at all. Why, he's dressed neat and expensive, a little sporty maybe, for a real gent; but he carries it off well. "Glad to have your assurance that I was right," says Pinckney, still givin' him the frosty eye. "Oh, don't mention it," says Mr. Marston. "And I trust you will overlook my butting in here to see Kitty--er, Mrs. Marston. Little matter of sentiment and--well, business, you know. I don't think it will happen often." "I am quite sure it won't," says Pinckney. "And now, if the interview has been finished, I would suggest that----" "Oh, certainly, certainly!" says Marston, edging towards the door. "Allow me, gentlemen, to bid you good-day. And I say, Kit, don't forget that little matter. By-by." Honest, if I could make as slick a backout as that, without carryin' away anybody's footprint, I'd rate myself a headliner among the trouble dodgers. Pinckney, though, don't seem to appreciate such talents. "That settles governess No. 1," says he as we starts for the elevator again. "We are beginning the series well." That was before he saw how smooth she got along with Jack and Jill. After she'd given an exhibition of kid trainin' that was a wonder, he remarked that possibly he might as well let her stay the week out. "But of course," says he, "she will have to go. Hanged if I understand how Mrs. Purdy-Pell happened to send her here, either! Shorty, do you suppose Sadie could throw any light on this case?" "I'll call for a report," says I.