As he concluded, Eleanor laughed hysterically and held out her hands to Mr. Dalken beseechingly. "Oh, dear Dalky! Can't you see how Paul misunderstood everything! I was speaking of Jack's case with Polly, and advising him in regard to Tom. I know Jack is not seriously in love with Polly, but he fancies himself so, because Polly is so attractive and indifferent to him. As Jack has always been flattered and made love to by society girls, this unexpected att.i.tude of Polly's piqued the boy. I did my best tonight, to show all three of these silly young things where they stood in this serious matter. And _to think_, I got myself in hot water for trying to help my friends!" Eleanor unexpectedly broke out in sobs and leaned her head against Mr. Dalken's shoulder.

Paul began to accuse himself for being a brute, and Mr. Dalken patted Eleanor's head and said comfortingly: "Never mind, Nolla dear. You'll learn by bitter experience that the more one interferes in these love tangles for the sake of helping friends out of their troubles, the more our friends detest us and we end in falling into snares ourselves."

"Um--don't I know it now!" wept Eleanor, in a m.u.f.fled voice, because her mouth was hard against her comforter's coat.

Paul stood uncertain of what to say or do. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and glanced around, but always brought his wandering eyes back to Eleanor's shaking form.

An interruption, in shape of the entrance of some merry tenants of another apartment, suddenly caused Mr. Dalken to lift Eleanor's head and hurry her, with Paul, into the reception room at one end of the main hall. Here they sat down to have an understanding.

When the facts were fully revealed, Paul was as grateful to Mr. Dalken for restraining him in his plans to run away, as Eleanor was for his hasty removal of her from upstairs, to the hall downstairs. And poor Mr.

Dalken was _most_ grateful to find he had made peace between two disturbed young hearts. He got up and said: "Let's hope you won't curse me in the future, for this reconciliation. And for goodness' sake! Let me get upstairs to my guests, and help Taki serve refreshments, or the oysters will be ruined with stewing, while the wonderful French patties I got from Del's, will be cold and clammy."

Eleanor laughed, and beckoned Paul to come up again. So the grinning elevator man carried them up and very considerately accepted the tip Paul slipped into his palm as he stepped from the lift.

The j.a.panese butler had not waited for Mr. Dalken, however, and was pa.s.sing the famous patties and sandwiches when the three absent members of the party entered again, and tried to act as if nothing unusual had happened.

Polly had witnessed Paul's flying departure, and thereafter saw Jack and Eleanor astounded in the darkened library. When Mr. Dalken rushed in and dragged them both away, Polly stood open-mouthed and stared after them.

The j.a.p wisely hurried forward and carefully closed the front door, then went back to his duties without showing that he had seen the queer performances of his master, or found Polly standing there, the single witness of the scene.

Polly still stood in the hall deeply perplexed, when Tom sauntered from Mr. Dalken's bedroom where he had been smoking a cigarette to steady his nerves. Now he joined Polly and began a conventional phrase, but was suddenly interrupted by her.

"What does all this silly behavior mean?" demanded she.

"Do you refer to my behavior?" asked Tom, blandly.

Polly's eyes snapped. "Of course not! Must you always think yourself first and foremost?"

As this was an unexpected and undeserved slap for Tom, he was still groping for a clue, when Polly's angry impatience with herself for having made such a blunder in her calculations about Eleanor and the others, made her exclaim:

"Well, I can plainly see that Nolla will never make any sort of a business partner for me! Her foolish head is so turned by beaus, that she will never settle down until Paul has either spurned her love, or she is married and divorced again. _Then_ there may be hopes of her attending to our work."

As Tom was not aware of Paul's sudden appearance and hasty departure, he still pondered what was best to say to Polly, in her unusual pettish mood. But she paid no heed to his silence and continued, like most women will when they have been mistaken, and fear the consequences of an ill-advised step.

"I declare! if Paul does come back and makes up with Nolla, I shall move heaven and earth to see that they are safely engaged this time! And that Jack Baxter, well, I'll make Dalky ship him off to some distant college so there'll be no further wasting of valuable time with him!"

This last declaration so over-joyed Tom that he found courage to offer a suggestion. But he was too unwise this time. "You're absolutely right, Polly dear. That Baxter has nothing better to do than kill time. He never did a stroke of work in his life, nor did his father before him. Those young 'lady's men' who live on their ancestor's rewards of labor, never amount to a row of beans."

Polly stared freezingly at Tom, but he was completely mesmerized with the romantic picture he was presenting, and so he continued oblivious of his companion's expression.

"We'll send Baxter flying, after this, and help poor Paul to hold his place with Nolla. I'll wire Paul to fix it so he can come East for Christmas, and surprise Nolla. Then we'll all announce a double engagement, eh?" Tom turned to watch Polly's face as she surely must second his plan, but he changed his mind when he saw her frown. "As usual, Tom, you're much too late in your brilliant ideas. Others are ahead of you. Paul has been here tonight and gone again, and Nolla will never have any engagement to announce--if she waits for Paul's declaration.

"As for _me_! My announcements are being engraved now."

Tom caught his breath in consternation at this news. "Your announcements, Polly! _Oh_, and you jilted me, after all!"

Polly enjoyed turning the knife in the wound, because she felt so wretched herself for having ruined Eleanor's happiness.

"I could not jilt anyone who never proposed, could I? I have maintained for a long time, and everyone who knows me is aware of it, too--that I am engaged to my profession and I have ordered my announcements to that effect. I propose sending out my business cards the first week of January!"

The relief to Tom was so great that he sighed aloud: "Oh, thank heavens for that!"

"I knew you would be glad, Tom; so you see you are sensible after all, and can thank heaven that you had no cause to be jilted!" laughed Polly, maliciously, but she felt no satisfaction in this outcome of her understanding with Tom.

CHAPTER XV

MUTUAL CONSOLATION

It was at this point in Polly's independent speech that the door opened and Mr. Dalken came in with his two repentant lovers. Tom saw that the clouds had been dispersed and now there seemed to be a clear sky for Paul. But he was curious to hear what had happened during the short time he had been smoking that cigarette.

Polly also saw Paul return with Nolla, and when she saw the happy smiles on both faces, she groaned, and turned to go to the library where, so little time before, the tragic lover had escaped with a determination to never look at another girl as long as he lived--excepting his mother.

Tom followed Mr. Dalken to the dining-room to learn the particulars about the two individuals who had meekly followed the host back to the apartment; while Polly sank down in one of the Turkish arm-chairs recently occupied by the two plotting match-makers.

Mr. Dalken rolled his eyes ceiling-ward and complained: "I can't understand why I should be chosen by Providence to act as peace-maker between jealous lovers, or quarrelsome husbands and wives. It is one of the most thankless jobs a man can have."

Tom laughed in spite of his eagerness to be told the details. "Maybe it is because you have so much _feeling_ for heartsick mortals," said he.

Mr. Dalken looked serious. "Yes, Tom my boy, you spoke the truth there.

If anyone knows the misery caused by fools and faithlessness, I'm that one. Perhaps that is the reason I can mediate for my friends."

"I was going to ask you to mediate for me, with Polly, but I haven't the heart to ask you, now," ventured Tom.

"Why, you big ninny, I've done nothing else but try to mediate between you two for the past two years. If matters haven't reached a crisis by this time, I'd better give up the case and let you get a specialist,"

exclaimed Mr. Dalken.

"Tell me exactly where I stand now, and I'll excuse you from further annoyance on my part."

"Great Scott, Man! Can't you tell where you stand? How can _I_ judge. You surely don't want me to propose for you, do you?"

Tom couldn't afford to feel indignant, as he had to ask his friend what had happened to Paul and Eleanor, during his temporary absence from the others. So Mr. Dalken told as much of the story as he had been able to understand, concluding with the admonition: "Now that Jack can't wile away time with Nolla, he will, doubtless, turn his full attention to Polly."

That was the only malicious remark the poor man permitted himself to indulge in. But Tom took it seriously and said: "Thanks awfully, for the hint. I'll keep after Polly myself, until Baxter gives up the chase." And with that he hurried away to find Polly.

He found Paul and Eleanor sitting in the deep window-seat where Polly had been the early part of the evening, and as he wandered about for a glimpse of his "Heart's Desire," the j.a.p came over with a tray and said:

"Mis'r Tom look fer supper? Taki keep nice patty for him."

Jack Baxter was near enough to hear Taki, and he laughed jeeringly as he said: "Oh, what a fine man you are, Taki! You know exactly what your master's guests are wanting--patties or Pollies!"

Taki grinned but failed to grasp the young man's meaning. Tom did, however, and leaving the oyster patty on the tray, he stalked across to Jack and said, threateningly:

"How dare you speak like that? Mentioning Miss Brewster's name in the same breath as an oyster patty or a poll-parrot."

But the truth of the matter was, Jack had never meant to convey the meaning, when he said "Pollies," that he spoke of parrots. So he instantly took the stand of the offended one.