lp looking, an" as I looked he smiled in what
dreams--of things past or to come--I wish it were in me to tell
you. Something touched me--like a strong hand. I went out under
the trees in the darkness an' stood still an' wondered what had
happened to me. Great Scott!--me! Socrates Potter, lawyer,
statesman, horse-trader!

"'With that little captain I could take a city,' I whispered, an' I
got up an' brushed myself off, as it were, an' walked around to the
front door of the great house.

"Therein I was to witness an amusing comedy. The butler wore a new
sort of grin as he took my wraps at the door. There were guests,
mostly from New York an' Greenwich. We had taken our seats at the
table when, to my surprise, Mrs. Bill, in a grand costume, with a
tiara on her head, an' a collar of diamonds on her neck, began to
serve the caviar.

"'Ladies and gentlemen,' said she, 'this is to convince Mr.
Socrates Potter that I can do useful work. I'm dieting, anyhow,
and I can't eat.'

"'My friend, I observe that you are serving us, and we are proud,
but you do not appear to be serving a purpose,' I said.

"'Now, don't spoil it all with your relentless logic,' she began.
'You see, I am going to take a hand in this keeping-up-with-Lizzie
business. One of our ladies had to give up a dinner-party the
other day, because her butlers had left suddenly.'

"'"Why didn't you and a maid serve the dinner yourselves?" I said.

"'"Impossible!" was her proud answer.

"'"It would have been a fine lark. I would have done it," I said.

"'"I'd like to see you," she laughed.

"'"You shall," I answered, and here I am.'

"Now, there were certain smiles which led me to suspect that it was
a blow aimed at one of the ladies who sat at the table with us, but
of that I am not sure.

"'I'm also getting my hand in,' our hostess went on. 'Bill and I
are going to try the simple life. Tomorrow we move into the
log-cabin, where we shall do our own work, and send the servants
off for a week's holiday. I'm going to do the cooking--I've been
learning how--and I shall make the beds, and Bill is to chop the
wood, and help wash the dishes, and we shall sleep out-of-doors.
It will, I hope, be a lesson to some of these proud people around
us who are living beyond their means. That's good, isn't it?'

"'Excellent!' I exclaimed, as the others laughed.

"'Incidentally, it will help me to reduce,' she added.

"'An' it promises to reduce Bill,' I s