We ate supper together, the three of us, in the flat.  It was so cosy. 
Darrie and Hildreth joined in cleaning the house that afternoon.

But a bomb was to be hurled among us.

At twelve o’clock of the next day the ’phone rang.

Darrie answered it.  After a few words she came for me, her face as white as a sheet....

“My God, Penton is in town!”

“—­this is only Thursday ... he was not coming till Saturday!” I exclaimed, full of forboding.

“I knew, I knew he wouldn’t keep his original mind!” exclaimed Hildreth.

“He’s holding the wire ... wants to say something to you, Johnnie.”

* * * * *

“Yes, Penton, what is it?”

“Only this,” his voice replied, as if rehearsing a set speech, “yesterday afternoon I sent a telegram to my lawyer to institute proceedings for a divorce, and I mentioned you as co-respondent....”

“Damn you to hell ...  I thought we were going to settle this in the radical way?”

“It’s the only way out that I can see.  I’ve stood this business till it’s almost killing me.”

“Well, is that all?”

“No ... somehow—­how, I do not know, the New York Journal has gotten hold of my wire ... it will be in all the papers to-night or to-morrow ... so I advise you and Hildreth to disappear quietly somewhere, if you don’t want to see the reporters,—­who will all presently be on the way to the flat.”

“Damn you, Penton ... needn’t tell me about the news leaking out ... you’ve done it yourself ... now I want you to promise me only one thing, that you’ll hold the reporters off for a couple of hours, till we have a good start.”

“I’ll do my best,” answered he, “but please believe me.  How they got the contents of the telegram I do not know, but on my honour I did not give it out nor did I tell the reporters where you are.”

* * * * *

Hildreth was so angry she could hardly speak.

“This is a fine to-do,” exclaimed Darrie, “Penton distinctly promised me—­”

“I’d like to get a good crack at him!” I boasted, at the same time enjoying the excitement.

* * * * *

Hildreth began packing her clothes in a large suitcase ... as we later found she cast all her clean clothes aside, and in her excitement included all her soiled linen and lingerie....

We had our last meal together.  I brought in a large bottle of white wine.  All of us grew rather hilarious and made a merry joke of the adventure.  We poked fun at Penton.

We sallied forth at the front door, Darrie to go to the Martha Washington.  “I don’t want to be mixed up in the coming uproar and scandal,” she exclaimed ... “so far, I’m clear of all blame, and I know only too well what the papers would insinuate.”

Hildreth and I took train for New Jersey ... two tickets for—­anywhere ... in our excited condition we ran off first to Elizabeth.  We had with us exactly one hundred dollars, which I had borrowed of Darrie before we parted on our several ways.