light. As he did so he stared closely at my face.
“Morgan,” he said to the other father, “this is not my daughter. My daughter did not have a moustache.”
“Indeed, I am not your daughter,” I said; “I am a respectable married lady, and here is the proof.”
With that I reached for the package Madge had given me, but it was in my coat-pocket, underneath the dress I had on, and it was only with great difficulty and by raising one side of the skirt that I was able to get it. I unwrapped it and showed it to the father that had me by the arm. It was the patent nursing-bottle.
When Mr. Billings had finished his relation his wife sat for a moment in silence. Then she said:
“And he let you go?”
“Yes, of course,” said Mr. Billings; “he could not hold me after such proof as that, and Lemuel ran me up to my office, where I changed my hat and took off the dress. I knew it was late, and I did not know what train I could catch, but I made haste, and, on the way down in the elevator, I felt in my pocket to see if I had my commutation ticket, when my hand struck the patent nursing-bottle. My first impulse was to drop it in the car, but on second thought I decided to keep it, for I knew that when you saw it and heard the story you would understand perfectly why I was detained last night.”
“Yes?” said Mrs. Billings questioningly. “But, my dear, all that does not account for these.”
As she said that she drew from her workbasket the three auburn-red curls.
“Oh, those!” said Mr. Billings, after a momentary hesitation. “I was about to tell you about those.”
“Do so!” said Mrs. Billings coldly. “I am listening.”
II. THE THREE AUBURN-RED CURLS
When I went down in the elevator (said Mr. Billings) with the nursing-bottle in my pocket, I had no thought but to get to the train as soon as possible, for I saw by the clock in my office that I had just time to catch the eleven-nine if I should not be delayed. Therefore, as soon as I was outside
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