is so gratifying to find any young girl, these days, who takes life in
earnest. Of all the flippant, mothlike creatures I find flapping about at
receptions or teas, I have yet to find one in every thousand who really
thinks of anything other than cigarettes, matinees, and dress. It is
positively revolting to me to have my rooms clouded with cigarette smoke,
yet what can a hostess do? The women have gone mad over the habit. The
danger lies in their not being able to break the influence as readily as
they form it."

Polly overheard the latter part of this speech and smiled admiringly at
her client. Then they came to the boudoir exhibit.

A very pleasant hour passed while Polly and Eleanor told Mrs. Courtney of
their visits to galleries in Europe, and in hearing Mrs. Courtney speak
of her amusing excursions in quest of the antique. Finally the lady
remembered an appointment, and in amazement found her wrist-watch told
her it was twelve.

"Oh, oh! I had an imperative engagement at the dentist's at twelve-fifteen.
How could this hour have passed so rapidly?" said she, hurrying to the
elevator in advance of the girls.

While waiting for the man to come for them, the two young salesladies
wondered if their customer would leave without an order, or word of
encouragement regarding the future of her boudoir.

On the elevator going down, Mrs. Courtney said: "When you have time to
come to my address and look at the suite, just let me know by telephone
and I will make it a point to be at home to meet you, to go into the work
in earnest. I am confident you can give the right atmosphere to my
boudoir." Just as the elevator reached the ground floor, Mrs. Courtney
handed Polly and Eleanor each a card upon which she wrote her private
telephone number.

"Now, good-morning, my friends. Remember what I said to you about having
chosen the right pathway, for the present. You will make all the better
wives and mothers for having had a genuine business experience. How
superior is your ideal to those of empty-headed society misses who live
but to dance or drink or waste their true substance."

With such praise of their endeavors, the lady left Polly and Eleanor; and
they stood where she left them, holding her cards in their hands, but
still gazing at the revolving doors through which she had passed and then
disappeared.

CHAPTER XVII

BUSINESS

Ruth and Dodo had been sadly neglected during the Christmas Season, but
after Pa