her entrance--"

"Yes. She was in the shop this morning." The recital seemed simple
and orderly now. "I helped to fit her. I usually do. She's never
very cordial, but this morning she was--oh, she was a beast! She
nagged and nagged and nagged, until I got nervous. I couldn't help it.
I got worse and worse, until I stuck a pin into her. Not just a
scratch." The gurgle threatened. "But deep--deep!"

"If you go off again," promised Felicity, "I'll dump that pitcher of
water over you."

"I won't. I stuck the pin into her, and she--she grunted. And then--I
never saw anyone grow so furious. She turned purple. I'm not sure
that she didn't strike at me.

"'You did that on purpose,' she grated at me. Grated, that's the only
word that describes it. 'You fool! You damned clumsy little fool!'"

Felicity waited until it was evident that she would have to speak.

"Well?" she asked then in a voice grown hard. "What did _you_ say?
What was the snappy come-back?"

"I couldn't think of anything to say, not just then--"

"Folks like you usually can't," said Felicity drily. "They think of a
knock-out a half an hour too late. But not me. Language comes easy to
me in a spot like that, language that I can't use regular without
getting pinched, and I'm generous with it."

"I was a little more than a half hour late in having my say," Cecille
admitted. "But I had it. I saw the announcement of the dance in the
afternoon paper and her name, and I decided to go. I don't know why;
that is, I didn't--not until she recognized me. Then I knew! She was
shaking hands with me and telling me to have a good time. She was just
passing me on to the next in line, when she blinked at me, like
that--she's fat--and stopped me.

"'Haven't I seen you somewhere before, my dear?' she asked. 'You seem
somehow very familiar.'

"Then I knew why I'd come. And I let her have it!

"'You have,' I was just as throaty as she was. 'And I should
be,'--meaning familiar. 'At ten-thirty o'clock this morning when I
stuck a pin into you, fitting that gown you have on, you cursed me. If
I remember accurately you called me a damned clumsy little fool.'"

"--seven--eight--nine--ten!" chanted Felicity joyously. "And _out_!
What did she do?"

And then, quite without any warning at all, came the break. It was
like the shattering of brittle glass.

Cecille rocked to crazy mirth.

"She had them put me out!" she shouted. "She called the