This and a warm irresponsible glow of comradeship were the sole indications of the drinks he had had. Keith possessed a strong head. Some of the others were not so fortunate. Little Rowlee was frankly verging on drunkenness. The afternoon wind was beginning to die, and the wisps of high fog that had, since two o'clock, been flying before it, now paused and forgathered to veil the sky. Dusk was falling. "Look here," suggested Rowlee suddenly; "let's go to Allen's Branch and have a good dinner, and then drift around to Belle's place and see if there's any excitement to be had thereabouts." "Belle--our local Aspasia, sah," breathed a very elaborate, pompous, elderly Southerner, who had been introduced as Major Marmaduke Miles. But this suggestion brought to Keith a sudden realization of the lateness of the hour, the duration of his absence, and the fact that, not only had he not yet settled his wife in rooms of her own, but had left her on the hands of strangers. For the first time he noticed that Sherwood was not of the party. "When did Sherwood leave?" he cried. "Oh, a right sma't time ago," said Bennett. Keith started to his feet. "I should like to join you," said he, "but it is impossible now." A chorus of expostulation went up at this. "But I haven't settled down yet!" persisted Keith. "I don't know even whether my baggage is at the hotel." They waived aside his objections; but finding him obdurate, perhaps a little panicky over the situation, they gave over urging the point. "But you must join us later in the evening," said they. The idea grew. "I tell you what," said Rowlee, with half-drunken gravity; "he's got to come back. We can't afford to lose him this early. And he can't afford to lose us. The best life of this glorious commonwealth is as yet a sealed book to him. It is our sacred duty, gentlemen, to break those seals. What does he know of our temples of Terpsichore? Our altars to the gods of chance? Our bowers of the Cyprians?" He would have gone on at length, but Keith, laughingly protesting, trying to disengage himself from the detaining hands, broke in with a promise to return. But little Rowlee was not satisfied. "I think we should take no chances," he stated. "How would it be to appoint a committee to 'company him and see that he gets back?" Keith's head was clear enough to realize with dismay that this brilliant idea was about to take. But Ben Sansome, seizing the situation, locked his arm firmly in Keith's. "I'll see personally that he gets back," said he. V "That was mighty good of you; you saved my life!" said Keith to him, gratefully, as they walked up the street.