ther,
it's all right! _I don't begrudge_ your mother her _first place_ in your
affections!

JINNY. Not at all, father; with you and mother there's no first place.
She will tell you all about it on the way home! Please, mother.

MRS. TILLMAN. Very well, dear.

TILLMAN. A little "scrap" between you and Jack?

JINNY. Yes, but it's all over!

TILLMAN. Um!-- [_Thinks a second, then taking out his cigar case, he
empties it of cigars and hands them to JINNY._] Give your husband these,
please, when he comes in!

[_JINNY and her MOTHER exchange a smile._

JINNY. But, father, Jack's got boxes full--

TILLMAN. Never mind; give him those, _from me, with my compliments_!

JINNY. [_Laughing._] Very well!

TILLMAN. How are you and Maggie getting on?

JINNY. Splendidly.

MRS. TILLMAN. Such a nice girl!

JINNY. And wasn't it odd Jack was bitterly opposed to my taking her?

MRS. TILLMAN. My dear, if we hadn't lent her to you for these few weeks,
you wouldn't have got anybody decent for so short a time.

TILLMAN. Why didn't Jack want her to come?

JINNY. I don't know, he just didn't want her; and then last week he
talked with her in the library for three-quarters of an hour by my
watch.

MRS. TILLMAN. Why?

JINNY. Oh, it seems _she_ has troubles, too! All single young women with
troubles, of no matter what class, seem to make a bee line for my
husband, even if they have to cross the ocean!

TILLMAN. What do you mean?

JINNY. [_Half laughing._] Oh, nothing, but it was about that talk with
Maggie that we had our last quarrel.

[_MAGGIE enters Right._

MAGGIE. Mrs. Cullingham.

[_A second's dead silence, the announcement falling like a bombshell._

JINNY. [_Astounded._] _Who?_

[_She rises._

TILLMAN AND MRS. TILLMAN. _Who?_

MAGGIE. Mrs. Cullingham and her son, madam.

JINNY. They're in Europe.

MRS. TILLMAN. Are you sure you're not mistaken, Maggie?

MAGGIE. Oh, yes'm. Even if you _could_ mistake Mrs. Cullingham, you
couldn't mistake Mr. Peter!

JINNY. Ask them to please come up, Maggie.

MAGGIE. Yes'm.

[_She goes out Right._

TILLMAN. Why, they only just sailed the other day, didn't they?

MRS. TILLMAN. Yes, and they were supposed to be gone all summer at
least, for Ruth Chester's health! What in the world can they have come
back for?

JINNY. [_With curious determination._] _That_ is what _I_ intend to find
out.

TILLMAN. [_Rising._] We must be going, Susan; we've lost our tra