e Circle.
But she was too good for that. Oh, my, yes! Chucked it after the first
week. And then she began bloomin' out in fine feathers. Won't say where
she gets 'em, either. And her always throwin' up to her father about not
workin', when he's got the rheumatism so bad he can hardly walk at
times! Gettin' to be too much of a lady to live in a basement, she is.
Humph!"

It looked like Vee had started something, for the Stribbles were
knockin' Mame something fierce, when all of a sudden they quits and we
hears the street door open. A minute later and in walks a tall, willowy
young party wearin' a near-leopard throw-scarf, one of these snappy
French tams, and a neat black suit that fits her like it had been run on
hot.

If it hadn't been for the odd shade of hair and the eyes I wouldn't have
remembered her at all for the stringy, sloppy dressed flapper I used to
see going in and out with the growler or helping with the sweepin'. Mame
Stribble had bloomed out, for a fact. Also she'd learned how to use a
lip-stick and an eyebrow pencil. I couldn't say whether she'd touched up
her complexion or not. If she had it was an artistic job--just a faint
rose-leaf tint under the eyes. And I had to admit that the whole effect
was some stunnin'. Course, she's more or less surprised to see all the
comp'ny, but Vee soon explains how we've come to hear about Brother Jim
and she shakes hands real friendly.

"I suppose you are working somewhere?" suggests Vee.

Mame nods.

"Where?" asks Vee, going to the point, as usual.

Miss Stribble glances accusin' at paw and maw. "Oh, they've been
roastin' me, have they?" she demands. "Well, I can't help it. What they
want to know is how much I'm gettin' so I'll have to give up more. But
it don't work. See! I pay my board--good board, at that--and I'm not
goin' to have paw snoopin' around my place tryin' to queer me. Let him
get out and rustle for himself."

With that Mame sheds the throw-scarf and tosses her velvet tam on the
table.

"I'm so sorry," says Vee. "I didn't mean to interfere at all. And I've
no doubt you have a perfectly good situation."

"It's good enough," says Mame, "until I strike something better."

"What a cunning little hat!" says Vee, pickin' up the tam. "Such a lot
of style to it, too."

"Think so?" says Mame. "Well, I built it myself."

"Really!" says Vee. "Why, you must be very clever. I wish I could do
things like that."

Trust Vee for smoothin' down rumpled