earth are you doing here? You never come to
see us any more, and I am so anxious, too, to ask you all about the
stabilized dollar and these new vitamines. Susan!" she called suddenly
in the general direction of the upper floors. Then, addressing no one in
particular, "I must find out about the salted almonds that the Dean
asked for last night," and she started for the kitchen.

"I ordered them this morning, Gumgum, myself, when I was ordering
everything else. I had them on my list."

"You did?" and Mrs. Norris burst into the most contagious laughter.
"Tom, I wish you'd stop my daughter calling me that horrid name. It's
disgusting. I'm going to call her 'Snuffles.'"

"I really must go, Aunt Helen," said Whitman, starting for the door. The
"Aunt" was a heritage of an earlier and more innocent day and not an
indication of blood relationship. "Uncle Julian" had, however, been
allowed to lapse, upon Henry's accession to the Woodbridge Faculty.

"Oh dear," replied Mrs. Norris. "Well, I'm coming down to see Nancy as
soon as she gets back, and then you've got to come up here for dinner.
It will be such a relief having her here for the party. And now," she
added, putting her arm through Tom's, "I must have a little talk with
Tom. I suspect he needs a pill, and I'm going to give it to him. Come
here, Tommy, dear, and let me look at you," and she pulled him back into
the library.

III

Mrs. Norris was about to force Tom down upon the Bosom when her eye was
caught by the cheque-book on the table. "Oh, land," she exclaimed, "why
didn't I give Henry his cheque! I've owed him for those German Socialist
books he got me for I don't know how long, and here I've forgotten to
give it to him. I must send Susan after him with it right away," and
going over to a bell by the fireplace, she pushed it until Susan
appeared. Then, looking at Tom, with her sweetest smile she asked, in
her quietest voice, "Why don't you like Henry?"

"Why, I don't mind Henry."

"Oh, come now, Tommy." She moved over to "her" chair under the yellow
lamp and, picking up the knitting immediately set the needles flying and
clicking over one another. "You know you can't bear him. He is a little
cut and dried--that's the trouble with him, I think--but then, as far as
I can make out, you people in the classics and literatures are just as
bad."

"Oh, Mrs. Norris."

"You are too. You are perfectly dreadful. Why, I can remember as well as
anything, old Pro