to omit the Christmas Tree
surprise for the children!... It's lucky we didn't even unpack the
trimmings! Or tell a soul about it." In a hectic effort to pack both a
thick coat and a thin coat and a thick dress and a thin dress and
thick boots and thin boots in the same suit-case she began very
palpably to pant again. "Yes! Every detail is all planned out!" she
asserted with a breathy sort of pride. "You and your Father are both
so flighty I don't know whatever in the world you'd do if I didn't
plan out everything for you!"

With more manners than efficiency Flame and her Father dropped at once
every helpful thing they were doing and sat down in rocking chairs to
listen to the plan.

"Flame, of course, can't stay here all alone. Flame's Mother turned
and confided _sotto voce_ to her husband. Young men might call. The
Lay Reader is almost sure to call.... He's a dear delightful soul of
course, but I'm afraid he has an amorous eye."

"All Lay Readers have amorous eyes," reflected her husband. "Taken all
in all it is a great asset."

"Don't be flippant!" admonished Flame's Mother. "There are reasons ...
why I prefer that Flame's first offer of marriage should not be from
a Lay Reader."

"Why?" brightened Flame.

"S--sh--," cautioned her Father.

"Very good reasons," repeated her Mother. From the conglomerate
packing under her hand a puff of spilled tooth-powder whiffed
fragrantly into the air.

"Yes?" prodded her husband's blandly impatient voice.

"Flame shall go to her Aunt Minna's" announced the dominant maternal
voice. "By driving with us to the station, she'll have only two hours
to wait for her train, and that will save one bus fare! Aunt Minna is
a vegetarian and doesn't believe in sweets either, so that will be
quite a unique and profitable experience for Flame to add to her
general culinary education! It's a wonderful house!... A bit dark of
course! But if the day should prove at all bright,--not so bright of
course that Aunt Minna wouldn't be willing to have the shades up,
but--Oh and Flame," she admonished still breathlessly, "I think you'd
better be careful to wear one of your rather longish skirts! And oh do
be sure to wipe your feet every time you come in! And don't chatter!
Whatever you do, don't chatter! Your Aunt Minna, you know, is just a
little bit peculiar! But such a worthy woman! So methodical! So...."

To Flame's inner vision appeared quite suddenly the pale, inscrutable
face of the old