hown very little consideration for
his parents."

"But why, uncle? I'm strong for her! She sounds to me like just what our
family needs."

He gave her a glance over his glasses--that delighted Katie, too; she had
long ago learned that when her uncle felt occasion demand he look like a
bishop he lowered his chin and looked over his glasses.

"Well our family may need something; it's the first intimation I've had,
Katherine, that it's in distress--but I don't see that a young woman who
votes is the crying need of the family."

"She's in great luck," returned Katie, "to live in a State where she
can vote."

He held up his hands. "_Katie? You_?"

"Oh I haven't prowled around this town all summer, uncle, without seeing
things that women ought to be voting about."

He stared at her. "Well, Katie, you--you don't mean to take it up, do
you?"

He looked so unhappy that she laughed. "Oh I don't know, uncle, what I
mean to 'take up,' but I herewith serve notice that I'm going to take
something up--something besides bridge and army gossip."

She looked at him reflectively. "Uncle, does it ever come home to you
that life's a pretty serious business?"

"Well I hadn't wanted it to come home to me tonight," he sighed
plaintively. "I'm really most upset about this unfortunate affair. I had
thought that you, Katie, would be pleasant."

"Forgive me," she laughed. "I can see how it must disturb you, uncle, to
hear me express a serious thought."

He laughed at her delightedly. He loved Katie. "You've got the fidgets,
Katie. Just the fidgets. That's what's the matter with the whole lot of
you youngsters. It's becoming an epidemic--a sort of spiritual measles.
Though I must say, I hadn't expected you to catch it. And just a word of
warning, Katie. You've always been so unique as a trifler that one rather
hates to see you swallowed up in the troop of serious-minded young women.
I was talking to Darrett the other day--charming fellow, Darrett--and he
held that your charm was in your brilliant smile. I told him I hadn't
thought so much about the brilliant smile, but that I knew a good deal
about a certain impish grin. Katie, you have a very disreputable grin.
You have a way of directing it at me across ponderous drawing-rooms that
I wish you'd stop. It gives me a sort of--'Oh I am on to you, uncle old
boy' feeling that is most--"

"Disconcerting?"

"Unreverential."

He looked at her, humorously and yet meditatively--fondly. "