Even the lunch patronage began to fall off.
Diantha was puzzled--a little alarmed.

Her slow, steady lifting of the prejudice against her was checked.

She could not put her finger on the enemy, yet felt one distinctly, and had her own suspicions.

But she also had her new move well arranged by this time.
Then a maliciously insinuating story of the place came out in a San Francisco paper, and a flock of local reporters buzzed in to sample the victim.

They helped themselves to the luncheon, and liked it, but that did not soften their pens.