"Bless you, I'm doing it for you, too. You have n't forgotten that you're a devilish good dancer and you don't chatter all the time?" Then, after a pause, "I'm wishing a good thing on the Wilkinsons, too,"--confidentially,--"for I don't mind telling you I've found Mrs. Skinner perfectly delightful. She's a positive joy to me." "You're all right, Mrs. Colby." "That's the talk. Yes, I'm coming along." She waved her hand to Stephen Colby. "When do you go?" "To-morrow morning." "I'll send the letter over this afternoon--and if you don't mind, I 'll wire the Wilkinsons that you're coming on." Skinner impulsively caught her hand. "Mrs. Colby, you're the best fellow I ever met!" When the letter arrived at the Skinner's house that afternoon, Honey knitted her brows. "I don't understand it." "You ought to. It's for you." "Dearie," said Honey, rising, her eyes brimming, "you mean to say that I'm going to St. Paul with you?" "Don't have to say it. Is n't that letter enough?" "Dearie, you're the most wonderful man I ever saw. Think of it!--a letter from Mrs. Colby! I'll bet those Wilkinsons are swells!" "They breathe the Colby stratum of the atmosphere. It's a special stratum, designed and created for that select class." "It's quite intoxicating." "Special brands usually are." "I thought those Western cities did n't have classes." "My dear, blood is n't a matter of geography. There's not a village in the United States that does n't have its classes. The more loudly they brag of their democracy, the greater the distance from the top to the bottom." As Skinner said this, he jotted down in his little book:-- _Dress-Suit Account_ _Debit_ _Credit_ One "open sesame" to the smartest set west of the Alleghanies! and Honey clapped her hands. And as he put Mrs. Colby's letter in his inside pocket, Skinner muttered to himself, "A climber, but does n't climb. She'll climb for this all right!" The Skinners reached St. Paul Tuesday night and registered at The Hotel. When he had deposited Honey in the suite which had been reserved by wire for them, Skinner proceeded to execute the next step in his scheme for the reclamation of Willard Jackson. He returned to the desk. "I wish," he said to the chief clerk, "that you 'd see to it that a paragraph regarding my arrival is put in the morning papers, just a little more than mere mention among hotel arrivals"--he took pen and paper and wrote--"something like this: 'William Manning Skinner, of McLaughlin & Perkins, Inc., New York, reached town last evening and is stopping at The Hotel.' There's a lot of people here I want to see, but I might overlook 'em in the rush of business. If they know I'm here, they'll come to see me." "Very good, Mr. Skinner," said the clerk. "I'll see to it."