es," she exclaimed, heartily. "Faith, I didn't
mean to speak of anything so unfashionable as the bearing of children."

Mrs. Delancy and a friend entered at this moment, to the great relief of
Cicily, who greeted her kinswoman warmly, and at once led her toward
Mrs. McMahon.

"Here is someone whom you know, Aunt Emma," she said, with significant
emphasis.

Mrs. Delancy, after one look of shocked amazement at the unwieldy figure
squeezed into a gilt chair, which threatened momentarily to collapse
under the unaccustomed burden, recovered the poise of the well-bred
woman of unquestioned social position, and went forward cordially,
holding out her hand.

"Oh, it's Mrs. McMahon!" she exclaimed, with a pleasant smile. "I'm
delighted to have you with us in this work."

Under this geniality, all of the Irishwoman's resentment vanished, and
she returned the greeting warmly.

"And how is little Jimmy?" Mrs. Delancy continued, returning to Mrs.
McMahon, after having spoken to Mrs. Schmidt and Sadie.

Thus addressed, the maternal Amazon displayed certain evidences of
confusion, and, indeed, seemed inclined to evade the issue, for she
replied after a little hesitation:

"Sure, ma'am, Michael and Terence and Patrick and Katy and Nora are all
fine."

"And Jimmy?" Mrs. Delancy persisted, albeit somewhat puzzled by the
woman's manner.

"Well, ma'am," Mrs. McMahon made answer, with an embarrassment that was
a stranger to her "you see, ma'am, there's only five, at present.... We
haven't had Jimmy yet!"

There came a gasping chorus from the whole company. Cicily, who had
taken her position behind the table set for the presiding officer of the
Civitas Club, lifted a scarlet face, as she beat a tattoo with the
gavel, and called out bravely:

"The Civitas Society will now come to order!"

CHAPTER X

There was a little delay while the members of the club shifted positions
in such manner as to bring them facing the president. When this had been
accomplished, the militant suffragette at once stood up, and spoke with
the aggressive energy that marked her every act.

"I move that we dispense with the reading of the minutes of the last
meeting."

"Yes, I think we ought to," Cicily agreed, and she smiled approval on
Mrs. Flynn. "In fact, there were no minutes."

But Mrs. Carrington nourished rancor against her rival for the
presidency, and the fact that Mrs. Flynn had made a suggestion, was
reason enough why she shoul