volous and garrulous old woman, who substituted ease for comfort,
and who burned a candle on the name-day of her first husband while her
second was safely out of the house.

So it was with something of excitement that Harmony led the way up the
stairs and into the salon of Maria Theresa.

Peter was there. He was sitting with his back to the door, busily
engaged in polishing the horns of the deer. Whatever scruples Harmony
had had about the horns, Peter had none whatever, save to get them
safely out of the place and to the hospital. So Peter was polishing the
horns. Harmony had not expected to find him home, and paused, rather
startled.

"Oh, I didn't know you were home."

Peter spoke without turning.

"Try to bear up under it," he said. "I'm home and hungry, sweetheart!"

"Peter, please!"

Peter turned at that and rose instantly. It was rather dark in the salon
and he did not immediately recognize Mrs. Boyer. But that keen-eyed
lady had known him before he turned, had taken in the domesticity of the
scene and Peter's part in it, and had drawn the swift conclusion of the
pure of heart.

"I'll come again," she said hurriedly. "I--I must really get home. Dr.
Boyer will be there, and wondering--"

"Mrs. Boyer!" Peter knew her.

"Oh, Dr. Byrne, isn't it? How unexpected to find you here!"

"I live here."

"So I surmised."

"Three of us," said Peter. "You know Anna Gates, don't you?"

"I'm afraid not. Really I--"

Peter was determined to explain. His very eagerness was almost damning.

"She and Miss Wells are keeping house here and have kindly taken me in
as a boarder. Please sit down."

Harmony found nothing strange in the situation and was frankly puzzled
at Peter. The fact that there was anything unusual in two single women
and one unmarried man, unrelated and comparative strangers, setting up
housekeeping together had never occurred to her. Many a single woman
whom she knew at home took a gentleman into the house as a roomer, and
thereafter referred to him as "he" and spent hours airing the curtains
of smoke and even, as "he" became a member of the family, in sewing on
his buttons. There was nothing indecorous about such an arrangement;
merely a concession to economic pressure.

She made tea, taking off her jacket and gloves to do it, but bustling
about cheerfully, with her hat rather awry and her cheeks flushed with
excitement and hope. Just now, when the Frau Professor had gone, the
prospect of a