"Because," said Ashley, "to me Mabel is the dainty, the divine one. She comes upon the eye as a perfect soprano voice smites on a musical ear."
"You are growing musical, are you?" said Harding. "Well then, the other is a celestial contralto, deep-toned and full and sweet, materialized."
After this both were silent for a moment and then Ashley began to laugh low to himself.
"What is your hilarity occasioned by?" asked Harding.
"I was thinking what fools we have been making of ourselves," said Ashley.
"And how did you reach that estimate, pray?" asked Harding.
"Why, Harding," was the answer, "an hour ago we met two ladies. They were not what we expected to find, and they brought a sort of enchantment to us. We saw them first an hour ago; we will to-morrow see them once more, and that will be all; and still we have been raving like two lunatics for the past half hour about them."
"You are right," was the sad reply. "See yonder on the street corner."
Just then a dainty carriage and a set of heavy trucks met on the corner and passed each other, the carriage turning to the east, the trucks to the west.
"Typical, is it not?" said Ashley. "The trucks go west—at least they will to-morrow night."