ent on: "Now look here, Fanny, you leave this to me.
When Virginia comes you make yourself scarce, get busy in the kitchen
or something and I'll talk to her. You'll see that I--"

As he spoke there was the metallic click of a key turning in the front
door lock.

"Holy Jupiter!" he exclaimed. "Here she is! Be careful what you say."
Greeting his sister-in-law amiably he called out: "Hallo, Virgie,
we're in here!"

Chapter XXI

Virginia came in tired and worn-looking. Her clothes were soaked
through from the storm and in her hand she carried a dripping
umbrella. She smiled wearily as she greeted the others:

"Hello, Fanny! How's this for weather?" Holding out her umbrella to
her brother-in-law she said: "Here, Jim, please take this."

While he went to put the gingham in the bathtub, Fanny helped to make
the newcomer comfortable. With concern, she exclaimed:

"Poor darling--you're wet through. You'd better change everything."

Virginia threw off her raincoat and dropped, exhausted, into a seat.

"I'm too tired to do anything but sit down," she exclaimed wearily.

"Was it a hard day?" inquired her sister as she brought a pair of
comfortable slippers to be exchanged for the wet shoes.

"Very," replied Virginia with a sigh of relief. "There are some days
when everything goes wrong. This was one of them. People were cranky
and exacting--there was a terrific rush. I scarcely had time to lunch
and tonight the cars were so crowded that I had to stand all the way."

Jimmie, re-entering from the bedroom, caught the last few words.
Anxious in furtherance of his plans to improve every opportunity of
ingratiating himself in his sister-in-law's good graces he exclaimed
apologetically:

"That's tough! Was the same fellow on the car?"

She nodded, while Fanny went to see how things were getting on in the
kitchen.

"Yes," she said listlessly.

"And going downtown?"

"Yes."

"Did he speak to you?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"Well, if he does or if he gets fresh at all," said her brother-in-law
with a fierce gesture, "you tell me and I'll punch his head!"

"He won't," she smiled.

"He'd better not."

At that moment Fanny re-entered from the kitchen. Cheerfully she
exclaimed:

"Dinner's all ready to put on, but I'll get you a cup of tea first!"
Pointing to the wet rubbers, she made a significant gesture to her
husband. "Jimmie!"

Docilely he picked up the rubbers and proceeded as be