He was an exceedingly genial soul, this young man, and wholly free of affectation. It seemed to Carrie he was as yet only overcoming the last traces of the bashfulness of youth. He did not seem apt at conversation, but he had the merit of being well dressed and wholly courageous. Carrie felt as if it were not going to be hard to talk to him. "Well, I guess we're ready now. The coach is outside." "Come on, people," said Mrs. Vance, coming in smiling. "Bob, you'll have to look after Mrs. Wheeler." "I'll try to," said Bob smiling, and edging closer to Carrie. "You won't need much watching, will you?" he volunteered, in a sort of ingratiating and help-me-out kind of way. "Not very, I hope," said Carrie. They descended the stairs, Mrs. Vance offering suggestions, and climbed into the open coach. "All right," said Vance, slamming the coach door, and the conveyance rolled away. "What is it we're going to see?" asked Ames. "Sothern," said Vance, "in 'Lord Chumley.'" "Oh, he is so good!" said Mrs. Vance. "He's just the funniest man." "I notice the papers praise it," said Ames. "I haven't any doubt," put in Vance, "but we'll all enjoy it very much." Ames had taken a seat beside Carrie, and accordingly he felt it his bounden duty to pay her some attention. He was interested to find her so young a wife, and so pretty, though it was only a respectful interest. There was nothing of the dashing lady's man about him. He had respect for the married state, and thought only of some pretty marriageable girls in Indianapolis. "Are you a born New Yorker?" asked Ames of Carrie. "Oh, no; I've only been here for two years." "Oh, well, you've had time to see a great deal of it, anyhow." "I don't seem to have," answered Carrie. "It's about as strange to me as when I first came here." "You're not from the West, are you?" "Yes. I'm from Wisconsin," she answered. "Well, it does seem as if most people in this town haven't been here so very long. I hear of lots of Indiana people in my line who are here." "What is your line?" asked Carrie. "I'm connected with an electrical company," said the youth. Carrie followed up this desultory conversation with occasional interruptions from the Vances. Several times it became general and partially humorous, and in that manner the restaurant was reached.