chievous little elf? Am I to
tell him THAT?"

"Serve her jolly well right if you did. Eh, Ethel?" said Alaric. "It
would," replied Ethel.

At that moment the footman and the maid both entered from the garden
very much out of breath. "I've searched everywhere, madam. Not a sign
of her," said Bennett.

"Not in the stables, nor up or down the road. And the DOG'S missin',
madam," added Jarvis.

Ethel sprang up. "'PET'?"

"No, miss. SHE'S gnawin' a bone on the lawn. The OTHER."

"That will do," and Mrs. Chichester dismissed them.

As they disappeared through the door, the old lady said appealingly to
her children:

"Where IS she?"

"Heaven knows," said Alaric.

"Oh, if I could only throw the whole business up."

"Wish to goodness we COULD. But the monthly cheque will be useful
to-morrow, mater."

"That's it! That's it!" cried the unhappy woman.

"No one seems particularly anxious to snatch at MY services as yet,"
said Alaric. "Course it's a dull time, Jerry tells me. But there we
are. Not tuppence comin' in and the butcher's to be paid--likewise the
other mouth-fillers. See where I'm comin'?"

"Have I not lain awake at night struggling with it?" replied the poor
lady, almost on the verge of tears.

"Well, I'll tell you what," said the hope of the family; "I'll tell you
what we'll do. Let's give the little beggar another month of it. Let
her off lightly THIS time, and the moment the lawyer-bird's gone, read
her the riot-act. Pull her up with a jerk. Ride her on the curb and NO
ROT!"

"We could try," and Mrs. Chichester wiped her eyes: "Of course she HAS
improved in her manner. For THAT we have to thank Ethel." She looked
affectionately at her daughter and choked back a sob. "Who could live
near dear Ethel and NOT improve?"

"Ah! There we have it!" agreed Alaric.

"But I don't know how much of the improvement is genuine and how much
pretended," gasped his mother.

"There we go again. She's got us fairly gravelled," said Alaric
despondently.

"Of course I can truthfully tell him that, at times, she is very
tractable and obedient."

"AT TIMES! About two minutes a week! When Jerry's around. How on earth
he puts up with her I can't understand. She follows him about like a
little dog. Listens to him. Behaves herself. But the moment he's
gone--Poof! back she goes to her old tricks. I tell you she's a freak!"
and Alaric dismissed the matter, and sat back fanning himself.

"Can I tell Mr. Hawkes that?"