ears to establish the parental tie, or ties I should say. If she is
quartered here with Mademoiselle we could still keep in touch with her
and she would be having the advantage of a year's steady tuition under
one person, and we'd be relieved--" a warning glance from Margaret,
with an almost imperceptible inclination of her head in the direction
of Beulah, caused him to modify the end of his sentence--"of the
responsibility--for her physical welfare."

"Mentally and morally," Gertrude cut in, "the bunch would still
supervise her entirely."

Jimmie, who was sitting beside her, ran his arm along the back of her
chair affectionately, and then thought better of it and drew it away.
He was, for some unaccountable reason, feeling awkward and not like
himself. There was a girl in New York, with whom he was not in the
least in love, who had recently taken it upon herself to demonstrate
unmistakably that she was not in love with him. There was another girl
who insisted on his writing her every day. Here was Gertrude, who
never had any time for him any more, absolutely without enthusiasm at
his proximity. He thought it would be a good idea to allow Eleanor to
remain where she was and said so.

"Not that I won't miss the jolly times we had together, Babe," he
said. "I was planning some real rackets this year,--to make up for
what I put you through," he added in her ear, as she came and stood
beside him for a minute.

Gertrude wanted to go abroad for a year, "and lick her wounds," as she
told herself. She would have come back for her two months with
Eleanor, but she was glad to be relieved of that necessity. Margaret
had the secret feeling that the ordeal of the Hutchinsons was one that
she would like to spare her foster child, and incidentally herself in
relation to the adjustment of conditions necessary to Eleanor's visit.
Peter wanted her with him, but he believed the new arrangement would
be better for the child. Beulah alone held out for her rights and her
parental privileges. The decision was finally left to Eleanor.

She stood in the center of the group a little forlornly while they
awaited her word. A wave of her old shyness overtook her and she
blushed hot and crimson.

"It's all in your own hands, dear," Beulah said briskly.

"Poor kiddie," Gertrude thought, "it's all wrong somehow."

"I don't know what you want me to say," Eleanor said piteously and
sped to the haven of Peter's breast.

"We'll manage a month t