h. Do
you know who she could be?"

Aunt Audrey burst into a musical laugh. "Many Bellairites dress like
circus folks," she answered. "In fact Uncle Guy often charges me with
that sort of thing. But what was the special offense of your circus
lady? What did she look like particularly?"

"Oh, she wore a black lace scarf on her head, and had some sort of big
flowered skirt, and a waist with sleeves like airships. Then the
little girl looked like a Greek dancer, and seemed scared to death,"
illustrated Cleo.

"I don't happen to place that piece of scenery," replied Mrs. Dunbar
facetiously, "but if you see her again, and I'm within call, give me a
whistle, and I'll report for inspection duty. You know I do quite a
bit of painting, and I might like to have a model of that sort. I am
sure old Sophia (or is she Azirah?) would fill in beautifully on an oil
I am making of yon mountain," with a hand wave in the direction of the
gray hills looming in hazy tints and shadowy glows against the early
morning sky. Mrs. Dunbar was a beautiful woman, just young enough,
rompish enough, and wise enough to get a very good time out of life,
and pass some of the pleasure on. With her ashen blonde hair and very
deep blue eyes, she looked like a "piece of scenery" herself, as she
fluttered about the breakfast room--which was a porch opening from the
dining-room, while she made her young visitors happy with her charming
grace and genial hospitality.

Grace and Madaline were fascinated by the artistic arrangements of the
Dunbar home, but with one member an author and the other a painter,
surely unusual taste and effect were to be expected.

"What wonderful plants and vines, and how early for them to be
so--profuse!" Grace felt safe in remarking, growing things always
seeming exempt from the rule against remarks and criticism.

"Yes, we have a patent hot-house," replied Mrs. Dunbar, "and it works
better than the big one out at the garage. You see, Jennie, our cook,
is an old fashioned Jersey woman, and she is resourceful, I must admit.
See that little shed made of boxes against the kitchen window? Well,
Jennie does all her winter gardening in that, heats and irrigates it
directly from the kitchen. She claims the steam of cooking is the very
best propagator, and we all have to agree with her. Just see the sweet
potato vine and the peanuts. Don't they look like the very finest
ivies?"

The girls examined the fine growing tendr