CHAPTER II.

MR. HOGG ENTERS THE LISTS.

Having arrived in the grill room of the Ritz coincident with a

devastating eruption of grapefruit, Mrs. Elvira Burton set out

forthwith to demonstrate that her unexpected advent was likewise

somewhat in the nature of a lemon. Even her smile was acid as she

spread out her rich sable furs and sat down at the table with her two

pretty nieces.

"I have just received a letter from Mr. Hogg, Helen," she began with a

rush, regardless of the anguish that was still evident in Helen's

lovely grapefruit bespattered eyes.

A twinge of something more than mere physical pain twisted the young

girl's features at the mention of the name--Hogg.

"Oh, auntie," she almost sobbed, "can't you leave Mr. Hogg out of my

luncheon. We had him last night for dinner and again this morning for

breakfast."

"Helen!" exclaimed Mrs. Burton in accents of bitter reproach.

"I just won't have him for luncheon, and with all this grapefruit in

my eye," insisted Helen, hotly.

"It must hurt terribly," sympathized Mrs. Burton's other pretty

charge, then twisted her head and looked behind her.

"What are you looking at, Sadie?" demanded Mrs. Burton, suspiciously.

Sadie turned with a start and blushed furiously. She started to

stammer a reply when the less timid cousin came to her rescue.

"Some ridiculous man was trying to flirt with us and we were both

awfully nervous. I suppose Sadie looked to see if _you_ had frightened

him off."

The blushing Sadie was amazed at her cousin's resourcefulness, and

stole a glance from under the curling fuzz of her golden bang to note

the effect produced upon her august guardian and aunt. Mrs. Burton

groped in her mind for some subtlety that might have been contained in

her niece's remark, failed at any plausible solution and then almost

vindictively returned to her original line of attack.

"Helen Burton, I must insist that you listen to me. I have broken an

engagement for the matinée with my friend, Mrs. Hobbs-Smathers of

Chicago, for the express purpose of communicating to you the contents

of Mr. Hogg's letter. He informs me, Helen, that you are treating him

scandalously; that you do not pay the slightest attention to his

letters or even answer his telegrams."

"Did he say he was getting thin--that would be charming," teased the

incorrigible Helen.

Mrs. Burton gasped and the color surged into her cheeks in two flaming

danger signals. The glance she turned upon the mischievously laughing

eyes of her niece was intended to annihilate every vestige of

frivolity. Her ample bosom struggled in its purple velvet casement.

Sadie Burton actually shook in her tiny boots as she pictured her aunt

in one of her hysterical outbursts right there in the midst of a host

of strangers who seemed to the unsophisticated miss from Omaha to

represent the very cream of New York society.

Even Helen was sobered by the gathering storm warnings. The smile left

her curving red lips and the dimples vanished. All that lingered of

her playful humor showed in the impish lights that danced in her

expressive eyes.

But she was spared the storm. A tiny page, resplendant with myriad

buttons, appeared in the entrance to the Oak Room and lisped the

name:

"Mith Helen Burthon."

He bore in his arms a bouquet of magnificent orchids. Every eye in the

room focussed upon the tiny flower bearer, among them the wrathful

pair of Mrs. Elvira Burton.

"Mith Helen Burthon."

The rage of the older woman had somewhat cooled. She managed to

nod her head haughtily to the boy. He came forward briskly with

his precious burden of blooms and laid them on the table, then

right-about-faced with military precision and marched away.

Now it was Helen Burton's turn to blush and her agitation was as

pretty to see as anything those who continued to stare in her

direction had ever witnessed. Her dimples were positive hollows from

which her blushes seemed to fountain. She did not reach for the

bouquet, though, because her hand trembled so and there was actual

fear in her eyes as she shrank back in her seat and regarded her

aunt.

Mrs. Burton was not loath to seize upon any leverage that might

give her sway over her rebellious niece. With a smile that was

unequivocally malicious she slowly raised the bunch of orchids and

turned them over. The bouquet was tied with a delicate mauve satin

ribbon that perfectly matched the gown worn by her niece.

Mrs. Burton looked at the ribbon and then at Helen's dress. There was

accusation in the glance. Her eyes studied the orchids. They were of a

peculiar rich golden brown, matching the splendor of Miss Burton's

hair. There was conviction in the second glance. She turned the

bouquet over several times, looking for a card.

There was none.

Now, here was a mystery! Could Miss Helen explain? Mrs. Burton inhaled

a deep breath, then said with exaggerated sweetness:

"Helen, dear, who could have sent you these beautiful flowers? They

are positively superb. He must certainly be an artist."

Great as was her first panic, the young girl quickly rallied to her

own defense. She had only waited to be sure there was no card, no

incriminating mark of identification. She leaned forward on her

elbows, sighed rapturously and exclaimed:

"Aren't they exquisite, Aunt El!"

"I asked you, Helen dear, who could have sent them?" There was

something distinctly feline in the purring tones as the question was

repeated.

"Why, isn't there any card, Aunt El?" fenced the girl.

"Come, come, my dear, why keep me in suspense? You can see there is no

card. Can it be one of the young men we met at the Grangers last

night? I hardly think so, for it is execrably bad form to send flowers

to a public dining room by a page in buttons."

Helen shook her head and assumed an air of great perplexity. She stole

a glance across the table at Sadie, but that shy little cousin seemed

on the verge of tears. Mrs. Burton intercepted the wireless appeal and

shifted her cross-questioning to Sadie. She was determined to unravel

the mystery. She read Sadie's panic as a symptom of guilty knowledge.

But Sadie was loyal to the cousin and chum she adored and proved

surprisingly game under fire. Indeed, she succeeded in breaking down

her aunt's cross-examination and bringing the inquest to ruins by

suddenly clapping her hands and blurting:

"Maybe Mr. Hogg sent them by telegraph."

The outrageous absurdity of the statement gave it cataclysmic force.

Helen embraced Sadie with her eyes and then added her own broadside:

"That really was splendid of him, Auntie El? Now you can tell me all

about his letter."

"I will reserve that until later," said Mrs. Burton, icily. "If you

have finished your luncheon, Helen, please pay the check and we shall

go."