Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 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 an...