ps and Johnetta Ackerley
hurried into the room.

"Oh, my dear, are you ill? Pardon my coming right up, but the cook
takes so long and I was so worried for fear you were--but you aren't,
are you?"

Mrs. Budlong was at bay. She glared at the intruder and threw up her
chin. Johnetta stared at her aghast.

"Why, my dear! you aren't mad at me, are you?"

Mrs. Budlong smiled bitterly, and said nothing. Johnetta shrilled:

"Why, what have I done?"

As a matter of fact, what had she done? All that Mrs. Budlong could
think of was her husband's unused suggestion for a war with Sally
Swezey. She spoke through locked teeth:

"It's not what you've done but what you've said."

"Why, what have I said?"

"You know well enough what you've been saying behind my back, and you
needn't think that people don't come and tell me. I name no names, but
I know! Oh, I know!"

Now, of course, everybody says things behind everybody else's back that
nobody would care to have repeated to anybody. Through Johnetta
Ackerley's memory dashed a hundred caustic comments she had made on
Mrs. Budlong. She blushed and sighed, turned away and closed the door
after her, like the last line of an elegy.

A surge of triumph swept over Mrs. Budlong. Success at last.

Then the door opened and Johnetta reappeared on the sill with a look of
angelic contrition.

"I hardly know what to say," she said. "Of course, I must admit I did
rather forget myself. It was at the last meeting of the Progressive
Euchre Club and everybody was criticizing you for having solid gold
prizes when they were at your house. They said it was vulgar
ostentation. I didn't say anything for the longest time, but finally
when they all said your money had gone to your head, hadn't it, I admit
I did mumble, 'It seems so.' But it is only what everybody else says
all the time, and I assure you I didn't really mean it. Of course
nobody can behave just the same after they are a millionaire as they
did before. But I am awfully fond of you and--and--"

"It was most disloyal," said Mrs. Budlong. "And to think that after
tearing me to pieces behind my back, you could come and call on me."

It was a fine speech, but after she heard herself say it, Mrs. Budlong
had a sinking feeling that if she herself had never called on anybody
she had not criticized she would have stayed at home all her life. But
Johnetta Ackerley took another line. She threw herself on Mrs.
Budlong's