luncheon was the fact that no one knew until
the moment of serving what the various courses were to be. When it was
discovered that Marian and Elizabeth had ordered fried chicken, for
which Vinton's was famous, with potatoes au gratin and tiny French peas,
there was general rejoicing. It took the better part of an hour to eat
these good things, and the guests, feeling that they were on familiar
ground, enjoyed themselves hugely.

"Oh, dear!" groaned Elfreda, "I know I have gained a pound since I
started out this afternoon. I haven't eaten so much at one time for
ages. There is still the salad and dessert to come. I can't possibly
miss either one of them."

"Never mind, Elfreda," soothed Emma Dean; "we won't invite you to the
next luncheon, then you can----"

"Just try leaving me out and see what happens," retorted Elfreda
threateningly. "You may find yourself locked in your room on that
self-same day with the key missing."

"Be good, both of you," admonished Miriam, "or I'll see that neither of
you get any dessert."

"Grace and Anne wouldn't be so mean," returned Elfreda with supreme
self-assurance.

"How could we blast such touching faith?" laughed Anne.

"There, what did I tell you?" asked Elfreda, turning triumphant eyes on
Emma. "Now, leave me out if you dare."

"I don't dare. I don't want to," declared Emma affably. "I was merely
trying to be pleasant and helpful. If you were not invited to the
spread, naturally you wouldn't eat, and if you didn't eat, then you
wouldn't have to worry about that extra pound. It is all very simple."

"Very!" agreed Elfreda, with such scathing emphasis that the exchange of
words ended in a general giggle at Emma's expense.

"Now that you've all finished laughing at me," she declared
good-naturedly, "I hereby invite all of you, even Elfreda, to Martell's
for the salad, which is my part of the ceremony."

"Oh, goody, it's Waldorf!" exclaimed Elfreda delightedly, as, seated
about the big corner table at Martell's, perhaps twenty minutes later,
they saw the salad brought on. "You knew what we liked, didn't you,
Emma?"

"I did, in spite of my simple tendencies," murmured Emma.

"That was a well merited thrust," laughed Elfreda, laying her hand
lightly over her heart.

"And now Wayne Hall and our humble apartment await you," proclaimed
Grace when the last vestige of salad had disappeared. "Anne and I extend
you a pressing invitation to dessert and conversation. Although th