"What luncheon?" stuttered Jimmy, feeling sure that Zoie had
suddenly marked him for her victim, but puzzled as to what form
her persecution was about to take.

"What luncheon?" repeated Zoie, trying apparently to conceal her
disgust at his dulness. "OUR luncheon yesterday."

"Why did you LIE," asked Jimmy, his eyes growing rounder and
rounder with wonder.

"I didn't know he KNEW," answered Zoie innocently.

"Knew what?" questioned Jimmy, more and more befogged.

"That I'd eaten with a man," concluded Zoie impatiently. Then
she turned her back upon Jimmy and again dashed up and down the
room occupied with her own thoughts.

It was certainly difficult to get much understanding out of
Zoie's disjointed observations, but Jimmy was doing his best. He
followed her restless movements about the room with his eyes, and
then ventured a timid comment.

"He couldn't object to your eating with me."

"Oh, couldn't he?" cried Zoie, and she turned upon him with a
look of contempt. "If there's anything that he DOESN'T object
to," she continued, "I haven't found it out yet." And with that
she threw herself in a large arm chair near the table, and left