XII - A WORD OF WARNING
Kitty Baird regarded the butler with astonishment.
“Mrs. Parsons is not at home,” she repeated. “Why, Oscar brought me a telephone message from her asking me to be here at noon and to lunch with her.” She consulted her watch. “Are you quite certain that she is not in, James?”
“Quite, Miss Kitty.” The butler’s solemnity of manner matched his severe black clothes, which fitted his somewhat spare form with the neatness of a glove. “Mrs. Parsons had forgotten a meeting of the Neighborhood House Committee, and she left word that she was very sorry to put you out. She said that she had no idea what time she would be back, and that you were not to wait for her.”
“Oh!” The exclamation slipped from Kitty with some vigor. “Oh, very well, James,” with a quick change of ton
