“I beg your pardon,” apologized Duncan and Marjorie in concert, and the stranger, recovering his equilibrium, stared fixedly at Duncan.
“Nice way to treat old friends,” he began, but got no further.
“Paul Potter! by all that’s glorious!” shouted Duncan, seizing his hand and wringing it hard. “Where did you drop from?”
“New York, stopping with Judge and Mrs. Walbridge. I tried to telephone you”——he stopped out of breath.
“Miss Langdon, let me present Dr. Paul Potter, of San Francisco,” broke in Duncan, and Marjorie found herself looking into the most piercing eyes she had ever seen in human head, as her hand was taken in a firm clasp.
“Very glad to meet you, Miss Langdon,” said the physician cordially. “I’m sorry to have interrupted your dance.”
“We were on the point of stopping——” she began.
“Not so that I could notice it,” and Dr. Potter’s eyes twinkled.
“I am afraid we were exceeding the speed limit,” acknowledged Duncan. “Come over to our box, Paul, and sit with us.”
“I can’t, old man, I must be getting back to Mrs. Walbridge; she is anxious to go down to supper.”