"Well," said Miss Kendrick, "I've heard that appearances are deceptive, and now I'm sure of it. You were a very good imitation of a man planning an escape." And she led the way into the library.
"There was something in the appearance," I said. "I was wishing to escape from the duty of going down town."
"Oh, if it's a matter of duty, I shouldn't think of interfering."
"I can't see now why I thought it so," I returned, "but I was suspecting there might be the chance of a fight."
"Well, if there's to be any fighting," said Miss Kendrick in some alarm, "I'll give you a bit of advice, and that is to keep out of it."
"There's to be a meeting of the anti-Chinese clubs to-night up by the Stanford-Hopkins houses, and it may start a riot," I explained. "I didn't know but I ought to go to it."
"The curiosity of these men!" she sighed. "And they talk of the inquisitiveness of women. Why, you might have fifty riots, and you'd never see me going near one of them--not if I heard of it beforehand."
"I hope not. But it isn't altogether curiosity that would lead me to attend."
"You don't mean that you have any crazy idea of trying to stop the fighting if it begins?"
"Well, no."