ut they're not clear to me."

"They are to me, which is enough," said Skinner, with a suggestion of
finality.

Honey pouted reproachfully at the snub, and Skinner's heart instantly
smote him.

"Don't worry, Honey. It's all right." He paused. "Now, I'm going to
make a prophecy." He pointed impressively at her with his forefinger.
"And you mark my words! Things will begin to happen right after the
Wilkinson dinner."

"That's Sunday morning."

"Things have happened on Sunday," observed Skinner quietly.

"When do you expect to start for home?"

"I 'm not sure, but I 'm counting strongly on Tuesday morning."

While the Skinners were talking, something pertaining to the same
business was developing in another part of the city.

"Do I get another dress?" Mrs. Jackson asked as the famous curmudgeon
entered the dining-room Thursday evening.

"You do," he growled. "I'll be hanged if I understand it."

"It's too bad," Mrs. Jackson began.

The curmudgeon held up his finger. "Stop right where you are. I know
what you're going to say." He growled out the accustomed formula:
"'You'd give me dresses all day long and diamonds and a magnificent
house, but you don't give me what is dearest in the world. I want to
go with the people I 'm fit to go with!' In the future, just to save
time, cross your fingers and I'll know you mean formula number two."

"But Mr. Skinner," Mrs. Jackson persisted.

The curmudgeon cut her short. "What's _Skinner_ got to do with it?"

"Got to do with it? Why, he's a regular missing link!"

"Missing link?" Jackson looked at her in surprise. "Have you seen
him?"

"I don't mean that--I mean connecting link."

"Some difference," Jackson grunted.

"If you hadn't gone and broken with McLaughlin & Perkins, Inc."

"That's enough. It's too late now. I don't want to hear anything more
about it."

Mrs. Jackson said nothing. She knew that silence at such a time was
her most effective weapon. Jackson waited for her to speak, but as she
did not speak he immediately felt sorry that he'd been short with her.
She was the only person in the world he really cared for. But he must
show no outward sign of weakness, so he repeated, "It's too late now, I
tell you!"

But, being a resourceful man, Jackson never considered anything too
late. He would never take defeat for granted until he should be in his
coffin. As a matter of fact, he had often regretted that he had broken
with McLaughl