me!" cried Aunt Mary.

"Mr. Denham sent the violets," Janice said, pointing to a great bowl of
lilac and white blossoms.

Just then the doorbell rang, and it was a ten-pound box of candy from
Burnett.

Aunt Mary collapsed among her pillows.

"I _never_ did!" she murmured feebly, and then she suddenly exclaimed:
"An' to think of me livin' up there all my life with plenty of money--" she
stopped short. I tell you when you come to New York on a mission and stay
for the Bacchanalia it is hard to hold consistently to either standard.

But Janice had gone for her lady's breakfast, and after the lady had eaten
it and had herself dressed for the day's joys, Jack knocked at the door.

"Well, Aunt Mary," he roared, when he was let in, "if you don't look fine!
You're the freshest of the bunch to-day, sure. You'll be ready for another
night to-night, and you've only to say where, you know."

"Granite did my hair," said his aunt; "you must praise her, not me."

"And you've got your goggles all ready, too," he continued. "Who sent
'em?"

"Oh, I shan't wiggle," said Aunt Mary "although I can't see how it could
hurt if I did."

"Come on and let's dress her up," said Jack to the maid, "Glory! what
fun!"

Thereupon they went to work and rigged the old lady out. She was certainly
a sight, for she stood by her own bonnet, and that failed to jibe with the
goggles.

Burnett was summoned in to view the proceedings, but just as he caught the
first glimpse he was taken with a fearful cramp in his broken ribs and was
forced to beat the hastiest sort of a retreat.

"I hope he'll get over it and be able to go out with us," said Aunt Mary
anxiously.

"I guess he'll recover," Jack yelled cheerfully. "Oh, there's Clover!"

A sort of dull, ponderous panting sounded in the street without, and let
all the neighbors know that "The Threshing Machine" (as Clover had
christened his elephantine toy) was waiting for someone.

Its owner came in for a stirrup cup; Mitchell was with him. Both were
togged out as if entered for the annual Paris-Bordeaux.

Burnett brought out the cut-glass jugs.

"Ye gods and little fishes! Sapristi! Sacre bleu!" he said to his friends.
"Just you wait till you see our Aunt Mary!"

"Has she got 'em all on?" Clover asked.

"Has she got 'em all on!" said Burnett. "She has got 'em all on; and how
Jack held his own in the room with her I cannot understand. I took one
look, and if mine had been a surgical case o