way of Bourne and Wood's Hole, and back again to the North Shore to
Barnstable, where we lunched. It was a grand day and the first of
others just as happy. After that every afternoon when the store
closed I picked up the Lowells; and then Polly, and we sought
adventures. Sometimes we journeyed no farther than the baseball
park, but as a rule I drove them to some inn for dinner, where
later, if there were music, we danced, if not, we returned slowly
through the pine woods and so home by the longest possible route.
The next Saturday I invited them to Boston. We started early, dined
at the Touraine and went on to a musical comedy, where I had
reserved seats in the front row. This nearly led to my undoing.
Late in the first act a very merry party of young people who had
come up from Newport and Narragansett to the Coates-Islip wedding
filled the stage boxes and at sight of me began to wave and beckon.
They were so insistent that between the acts I thought it safer to
visit them. They wanted to know why I had not appeared at the
wedding, and who was the beautiful girl.

The next morning on our return trip to New Bedford Polly said, "I
read in the papers this morning that those girls in that theatre
party last night were the bridesmaids at the Coates-Islip wedding.
They seemed to know you quite well.

I explained that in selling automobiles one became acquainted with
many people.

Polly shook her head and laughed. Then she turned and looked at me.

"You never sold an automobile in your life," she said.