mething to sit on."

"Help yourself," he replied, still from his wife's lap, "and don't be
jealous, sis. If the sight of married happiness upsets you, go away. Go
away, anyhow."

Mr. Sam came over and jerked him into a sitting position. "Either you'll
sit up and take part in this discussion," he said angrily, "or you'll go
out in the snow until it's over."

Mr. Dick leaned over and kissed his wife's hand.

"A cruel fate is separating us," he explained, "but try to endure it
until I return. I'll be on the other side of the fireplace."

Miss Patty came to the fire and stood warming her hands. I saw her
sister watching her.

"What's wrong with you, Pat?" she asked. "Oskar not behaving?"

"Don't be silly," Miss Patty said. "I'm all right."

"She's worked to death," Mrs. Sam put in. "Look at all of us. I'll tell
you I'm so tired these nights that by nine o'clock I'm asleep on my
feet."

"I'm tired to death, but I don't sleep," Miss Patty said. "I--I don't
know why."

"I do," her sister said. "If you weren't so haughty, Pat, and would just
own up that you're sick of your bargain--"

"Dolly!" Miss Patty got red and then white.

"Oh, all right," Mrs. Dicky said, and shrugged her shoulders. "Only, I
hate to see you make an idiot of yourself, when I'm so happy."

Mr. Dick made a move at that to go across the fireplace to her, but Mr.
Sam pushed him back where he was.

"You stay right there," he said. "Here's Pierce now."

He came in smiling, and as he stood inside the door, brushing the snow
off, it was queer to see how his eyes went around the circle until he'd
found Miss Patty and stopped at her.

Nobody answered his smile, and he came over to the fire beside Miss
Patty.

"Great night!" he said, looking down at her. "There's something
invigorating in just breathing that wind."

"Do you think so?" Mrs. Sam said disagreeably. "Of course, we haven't
all got your shoulders."

"That's so," he answered, turning to her. "I said you women should not
come so far. We could have met in my sitting-room."

"You forget one thing," Mr. Dick put in disagreeably, "and that is
that this meeting concerns me, and I can not very well go to YOUR
sitting-room."

"Fact," said Mr. Pierce, "I'd forgotten about you for the moment."

"You generally do," Mr. Dick retorted. "If you want the truth, Pierce,
I'm about tired of your high-handed methods."

Mr. Pierce set his jaw and looked down at him.

"Why? I've saved the place,