cal survey. She saw that Aunt Lucretia was well but simply
gowned in white. She was immaculately fresh, and fragrant from her bath
with a faint odor of violets about her that pleased rather than offended
nostrils which habitually objected to "perfumery" as something common
and vulgar.

Her gown might have been expensive but did not look so and was eminently
more fit for an evening dinner in a tourists' hotel than the elaborate
costume of Mrs. Stark.

Though she had been but twenty-four hours in the place, Auntie Lu had
already adapted herself to it completely, and smiled away the services
of a rather frightened head-waitress new to her business, as she
threaded her way toward that distant corner of the crowded room where
her own table overlooked the water.

A little hush fell over the adjoining tables as Mrs. Stark's elegance
bore down upon them in her majestic way. She was portly and
heavy-motioned, as poor Monty was apt to be when he should arrive at her
age; and chairs had to be drawn in closer, feet tucked under them, and
heads bent forward as she passed by.

As for the youth in her train misery and mortification shone on his
chubby countenance. For a boy he had been absurdly fond of dress, but he
had also a keen sense of what was fit and he knew his present costume
was not that. However, all this trivial unpleasantness passed, as the
entering pair were greeted by the rest of the party. The Judge still
wore a business suit but his manner, as he rose to be presented to Mrs.
Stark was so polished and correct that her spirits revived, thinking:

"Well, the people are all right, if the place isn't."

She acknowledged Miss Isobel's greeting with a slight haughtiness, such
as she felt was due a social inferior. Upon Molly she bestowed an
admiring smile and glance; and upon Dorothy a rather perfunctory one.
The girl might also be "poorhouse born" for aught anybody knew, and from
contact with such her "precious lamb" was to be well protected. She
intended to see to it that further intercourse between her son and that
"tramp," Jim Barlow, should be prevented also; and while she marvelled
that "the Breckenridges" should make much of the girl, as apparently
they did, it wasn't necessary that she should do the same. Monty had
told her all about each member of the party so that Dorothy's story was
familiar to her. The lad had concluded his recital with the words:

"She's the bravest, sincerest girl in the world. She's bra