Our janitor--" "Let me light your fire for you," he answered, and extracting a parlor-match from his pocket,--safety-matches were his bugbear,--he stooped, and put the flame to the fire.

As he did so he understood that it was not the mere forgetfulness of a servant that had left it unlighted, but probably a deliberate economy, and he rose crimson and unhappy.
It took him some time to recover, and during the entire time she sat in her gray shawl, looking very amiable, but plainly unable to think of anything to say.
"I saw your son in Farron's office to-day." "Mr.Farron has been so kind, so wonderfully kind!" Only a guilty conscience could have found reproach in this statement, and Lanley said: "And I hear he is dining at my daughter's this evening." Mrs.Wayne had had a telephone message to that effect.
"I wondered, if you were alone--" Lanley hesitated.

He had of course been going to ask her to come and dine with him, but a better inspiration came to him.

"I wondered if you would ask me to dine with you." "Oh, I'm so sorry," said Mrs.Wayne, "but I can't.

I have a boy coming.
He's studying for the ministry, the most interesting person.