air; but as
this door in that fine climate was hooked open all day long it didn't
disturb the gay, the almost jocose appearance of the place when
everything was finished.

Houses have their expressions, their distinctive faces, very much as
people have, meditated Mr. Twist the morning of the opening, as he sat
astride a green chair at the bottom of the little garden, where a hedge
of sweetbriar beautifully separated the Twinkler domain from the rolling
fields that lay between it and the Pacific, and stared at his handiwork;
and the conclusion was forced upon him--reluctantly, for it was the last
thing he had wanted The Open Arms to do--that the thing looked as if it
were winking at him.

Positively, thought Mr. Twist, his hat on the back of his head, staring,
that was what it seemed to be doing. How was that? He studied it
profoundly, his head on one side. Was it that it was so very gay? He
hadn't meant it to be gay like that. He had intended a restrained and
disciplined simplicity, a Puritan unpretentiousness, with those sweet
maidens, the Twinkler twins, flitting like modest doves in and out among
its tea-tables; but one small thing had been added to another small
thing at their suggestion, each small thing taken separately apparently
not mattering at all and here it was almost--he hoped it was only his
imagination--winking at him. It looked a familiar little house; jocular;
very open indeed about the arms.

CHAPTER XXIII

Various things had happened, however, before this morning of the great
day was reached, and Mr. Twist had had some harassing experiences.

One of the first things he had done after the visit to Los Angeles was
to take steps in the matter of the guardianship. He had written to Mrs.
Bilton that he was the Miss Twinklers' guardian, though it was not at
that moment true. It was clear, he thought, that it should be made true
as quickly as possible, and he therefore sought out a lawyer in Acapulco
the morning after the interview. This was not the same lawyer who did
his estate business for him; Mr. Twist thought it best to have a
separate one for more personal affairs.

On hearing Mr. Twist's name announced, the lawyer greeted him as an old
friend. He knew, of course, all about the teapot, for the Non-Trickler
was as frequent in American families as the Bible and much more
regularly used; but he also knew about the cottage at the foot of the
hills, what it had cost--which was little--and w