The answer was delayed still another day. When it came, it was in the
shape of a very short note stating that Saturday was the date of return.
Serena wrote that she was having a lovely time. She would tell him all
about it when she got back. "And," she added, "I am sending you by this
mail copies of the Atterbury paper. Please show it to any of the Chapter
members whom you may meet."

Captain Dan unfolded the paper and gazed at the page marked with blue
pencil. Here, under black headlines, which screamed the success of
the convention of the Ladies of Honor, was a horrible blotted outrage
resembling a stout negress peering through a screen door and labeled,
"Mrs. Serena Sarah Dott, of Scarford, whose brilliant paper scored the
success of the meeting." It was only by a process of deduction that
Daniel realized the thing to be a reproduction of the photograph he had
sent. He glanced hurriedly over the account of the meeting, catching
here and there phrases like "Mrs. Dott's forte is evidently platform
speaking"--"clear thought, well expressed"--"tumultuous applause." He
felt that he ought to read the account from beginning to end, but also
that he could not. Azuba, however, when it was shown to her, had no such
feeling. She bore it to the kitchen, read it all, and returned to crow
vaingloriously.

"Well, there now, Captain Daniel!" she exclaimed. "Ain't it wonderful!
Ain't it grand! Ain't you a lucky man to have a wife as notorious as
she's gettin' to be! I swan to man, if it ain't--"

The captain interrupted her. "Azuba," he said, rather testily for him,
"if you use that word again I don't know as I won't make you eat a
dictionary. My wife may be famous and she may be a platform speaker, but
I'm blessed if I'll have her notorious, not if I can help it."

"But she is notorious, ain't she? Look at her right there in the
newspaper, with all that piece about her in print! I wish Labe could
read such a piece in the paper about me. Why, what ails you, Daniel
Dott? Just look at that photograph!"

Captain Dan rose. "Yes," he said drily, "I've been lookin' at it. That's
part of what ails me."

On Saturday he was at the station to meet his wife. Serena was inwardly
jubilant, although, because of the presence of Mrs. Lake and Annette,
she tried to appear dignified and calm. But when she and her husband
were alone on their way to the house her jubilation burst forth.

"Oh, it was a wonderful success!" she declared. "I decl