oice trembled. "I can't thank you half enough, but I
shall love you, every one, as long as I live!"

Doodles was picking up the small parcels scattered on the floor.

"Will you have these now?" he nodded.

"Oh, yes!" she said, eagerly as a child.

Everybody seemed interested in the unwrapping. They were simple
gifts, but Miss Lily fingered them lovingly, even to the plainest
little card.

The telephone called Blue into the next room. He returned almost
at once.

"Mr. Randolph," he said, "some one wishes to talk with you."

They were rising from the table as the president came back.

"I am sorry to say good-bye so early," he told them; "but a New
York man is waiting to see me on important business and has to
return home on the 11.45 train. So I must get down to him as soon
as possible."

He came over to Juanita Sterling with a little rueful smile.

"I hoped to have the pleasure of taking you home, but--" He shook
his head. "We'll make up for it in a day or two," he finished
blithely.

Her eyes met his. Something she saw there sent a warm flush to her
cheeks, and she looked away.

"You will hear from me soon." He held out his hand. "Thank you
for giving me so much enjoyment this evening--good-night."

That was all. Simple courtesy, Juanita Sterling told herself two
hours later; but now--her heart was filled with a quivering joy
that was almost pain.

On the homeward ride she found herself seated next to Miss Major,
with Miss Castlevaine just beyond.

"We seem to be shifted round," Miss Castlevaine observed. "I came
up in the second car, Dr. Dudley's; but Mrs. Winslow Teed has my
seat--I was in front with the chauffeur. So I took the first
vacant place I saw."

"She rode up with us."

"Then it is all right. I see David Collins has got Patricia
Illingworth in tow--he came with Polly. I wonder if they've had a
quarrel."

"I never knew them to quarrel," said Juanita Sterling.

"Oh, don't they? Well, it looks like it now. He took Patricia out
to supper, too."

"So he did," responded Miss Major. "I didn't think of it in that
light. We've had a nice evening, anyway. It seems good to get out
of the rut."

"Yes," answered Miss Castlevaine grudgingly; "but they'll have to
keep this up, now they've begun, or there'll be more fusses than a
few!"

"What do you mean?"

"Why, everybody'll have to have a birthday party, or the rest'll be
jealous."

"Oh, yes, I see! But they couldn't