which these last few minutes had been pulsing upward toward orgasm,
was now become resistless. It was as though a crust, a shell, were
being burst and being violently shed. She thrilled with an amazing,
undreamed-of, expanding warmth.

"Do you really--want to--leave me, Jack?" she whispered.

"I have been invited to leave," said he, "but I have never been
invited to come back."

With a timidity, shot through with tingling daring, she slipped an arm
about his shoulders.

"Then I invite you," she said tremulously. "Won't you stay, Jack?"

"And Mary?" said he.

She looked about at her dark-eyed daughter-in-law.

"If Mary will stay, too, I'll--I'll try not to act like my petrified
family tree."

"What! Was that you that day?" gasped the horrified Mary.

Mrs. De Peyster slipped her other arm about Mary, and daringly she
kissed Mary's fresh young cheek, and she drew the two tightly, almost
convulsively, to her. "Mother!" cried Jack; and the next instant the
two pairs of arms were about her. And thus they stood for several
moments; until--

"Caroline," broke in the unsteady but determined voice of Judge
Harvey, "I told you I was going to propose to you again. And I'm going
to do it right now. Please consider yourself proposed to."

She looked up--shamefaced, flushing.

"What, after the foolish woman I've--"

"If you were ever foolish, you were never less a fool than now!"

"I don't know about that," she quavered, "but anyhow I want you to
straighten out my affairs--and--and Allistair, for all I care, can
have--can have--for I'm all through--"

"Caroline!"

The next moment Judge Harvey's arms had usurped complete possession of
her. And she wilted away upon his shoulder, and sobbed there. And thus
for several moments....

They were aroused by a polite cough. Both looked up. Halfway to the
door stood Mr. Pyecroft; and beside him was Miss Gardner, gazing at
him, tremulously bewildered.

"Pardon me," said he, in his grave manner; nothing was ever seen less
suggestive of having ever smiled than his face--"pardon me, Judge
Harvey, but I believe you failed to mention at what time your office
opens."

"What time my office opens?" Judge Harvey repeated blankly. "Why?"

"Naturally," said Mr. Pyecroft, "I wish to know at what hour I am
supposed to report for work."

"Well--Well--"

But for a moment Judge Harvey could get out no more. He just stared.

Then in a voice of dryest sarcasm: "Would you consider i