low raised his whip in salute to every other old retainer
perched on the box of a victoria that they met, she was delighted.

The Dean joined them for dinner at one of the old exclusive hotels in the
White House section of town, and here Kit fairly reveled in the general
atmosphere of diplomatic tone. She sighed involuntarily, watching a very
beautiful woman who sat at an adjoining table, when she extended her hand
in greeting to two foreign-appearing gentlemen in uniform, and they both
bowed over it and kissed it.

"That's the Continental custom, my dear," Miss Daphne murmured.

"Oh, dear, I wish they'd do it here still," Kit said. "It makes one think
of powdered hair and lovely, flouncy hoop skirts. I'm going to practice it
when I get home."

It was not until they took the through train from Washington for New
London that Kit relaxed. It was the last home stretch, and now that the
end of the journey drew near, the full importance of the Dean's visit at
such a time grew upon her. The little hint she had given about the guest
chamber being ready was the only thing that would have made the family
suspect she was bringing any guests with her. Not a word had been sent to
notify them of their arrival, but the last two hours in Washington had
been given up to the purchasing of gifts, and Kit had looked positively
dazed when the Dean handed her twenty-five dollars with the remark:

"You'll want to buy a few little things too, my dear."

A few little things. Kit wondered if he had any idea at all of how little
cash had figured in the purchasing of home gifts at Greenacres the past
two years.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE DEAN SEES THE STAR

They arrived at Nantic a little past noon, after leaving Washington on the
midnight express. There was no stop-over at New York in the morning, the
train going straight through to New England, and here they found the first
snowstorm.

"There are the old gray rock walls, bless them," exclaimed the Dean,
delightedly, "and the evergreens. The west may keep its towering white
pines, but give me the old hemlocks and junipers, with the birches and
oaks behind them."

Kit was so glad to see Mr. Briggs' smiling face on the platform at Nantic
that she almost threw her arms around him, as she jumped from the platform
of the train.

"Well, well," he ejaculated, "didn't expect to see you around so soon,
Miss Robbins. Come to stay a while? Brought company with you, too, didn't
you? Home fol