ter, but have gained a son."

These were the only words he had spoken the entire evening. He departed;
the company was profoundly impressed.

About twenty minutes later, when Marcus Schouler was entertaining the
guests by eating almonds, shells and all, Mr. Sieppe started to his
feet, watch in hand.

"Haf-bast elevun," he shouted. "Attention! Der dime haf arrive, shtop
eferyting. We depart."

This was a signal for tremendous confusion. Mr. Sieppe immediately threw
off his previous air of relaxation, the calf's head was forgotten, he
was once again the leader of vast enterprises.

"To me, to me," he cried. "Mommer, der tervins, Owgooste." He marshalled
his tribe together, with tremendous commanding gestures. The sleeping
twins were suddenly shaken into a dazed consciousness; Owgooste, whom
the almond-eating of Marcus Schouler had petrified with admiration, was
smacked to a realization of his surroundings.

Old Grannis, with a certain delicacy that was one of his
characteristics, felt instinctively that the guests--the mere
outsiders--should depart before the family began its leave-taking of
Trina. He withdrew unobtrusively, after a hasty good-night to the bride
and groom. The rest followed almost immediately.

"Well, Mr. Sieppe," exclaimed Marcus, "we won't see each other for some
time." Marcus had given up his first intention of joining in the Sieppe
migration. He spoke in a large way of certain affairs that would keep
him in San Francisco till the fall. Of late he had entertained ambitions
of a ranch life, he would breed cattle, he had a little money and was
only looking for some one "to go in with." He dreamed of a cowboy's
life and saw himself in an entrancing vision involving silver spurs and
untamed bronchos. He told himself that Trina had cast him off, that his
best friend had "played him for a sucker," that the "proper caper" was
to withdraw from the world entirely.

"If you hear of anybody down there," he went on, speaking to Mr. Sieppe,
"that wants to go in for ranching, why just let me know."

"Soh, soh," answered Mr. Sieppe abstractedly, peering about for
Owgooste's cap.

Marcus bade the Sieppes farewell. He and Heise went out together. One
heard them, as they descended the stairs, discussing the possibility of
Frenna's place being still open.

Then Miss Baker departed after kissing Trina on both cheeks. Selina went
with her. There was only the family left.

Trina watched them go, one by one, w