them tomorrow?"

Dicky looked coy.

"If you don't mind," he said, "I guess I'll take the chocolates, and
you can send the grapes to-morrow."

He pulled a very dirty handkerchief from his pocket, in order to
provide a wrapping for the chocolates, and, as he spread it on the
table, a letter dropped out. He turned his eyes upon French with an
expression of sincere regret.

"I say!" he began. "Now, isn't that too bad! And Deena so particular
that you should get the note before tea time. I'm awfully sorry, Mr.
French--it's all Bridget's fault. Deena said if I got that note to you
before five o'clock I should have a piece of cake, and when Bridget
wouldn't give it to me it made me so mad I forgot everything. I wanted
to kill her."

"I know just how you felt," said Stephen, with irony.

Dicky was tying his chocolates into a hard ball, but with the
finishing grimy knot he tossed responsibility to the winds.

"Oh, well," he said, soothingly, "you've got it now, at any rate, so
there's no occasion for saying just _when_ I gave it to you, unless
you want to get a fellow into trouble."

Stephen looked grave; he did want Mrs. Ponsonby to know why he had
failed to follow her suggestion of taking tea with her at her mother's
house--and also he hated evasion.

"As it happens, that is the exact point I wish your sister to know. I
shall not tell her, but I expect you, as a gentleman, to tell of
yourself."

"All right," said Dicky, mournfully. "Good-night, Mr. French."

CHAPTER V.

Deena had ample time to get accustomed to the old home life before her
parents returned, for she had already been in charge for two weeks and
still they tarried.

It was evident that young Mr. Beck wished to carry out his aunt's
bequests in the spirit as well as the letter of her instructions, for
trunks of linen and silver began to arrive from Chicago which gave
some idea of the loot obtained from the dismantling of Mrs. Beck's
fine house. The young Sheltons took the keenest interest in unpacking
these treasures. Children are naturally communistic. They enjoy
possessions held in common almost as much as their individual
acquisitions--only in a different way. There is more glorification in
the general good luck, but not such far-reaching privilege.

In the midst of these excitements Deena received a letter the
possession of which no one seemed inclined to dispute with her. It was
from Simeon, posted at Montevideo, and containing the first n