ing.

He came back with a foolish hope in his face. She spoke softly.

"Everybody says there's a new John March. Tell me it's so; won't you?"

"I"--his countenance fell--"I thought there was, but--I--I don't know."
He went on his errand. Champion met him and fixed him with a broad grin.

"I know what's the matter with you, March."

"O pooh! you think so, eh? Well, you never made a greater mistake! I'm
simply tired. I'm fairly aching with fatigue, and I suppose my face
shows it."

"Yes. Well, that's all I meant. Anybody can see by your face you're in a
perfect agony of fatigue. You don't conceal it as well as Shotwell
does."

"Shotwell!" laughed John. "He's got about as much agony to conceal as a
wash-bench with a broken leg. O, I'll conceal mine if anybody'll tell me
how."

Champion closed his lips but laughed audibly, in his stomach. "Well,
then, get that face off of you. You look like a boy that'd lost all his
money at a bogus snake-show."

* * * * *

When Fair came up to Barbara, she was almost as glad to see him as John
supposed, and brought her every wit and grace to bear for his retention,
with a promptness that satisfied even her father, viewing them from a
distance.

"Miss Garnet, I heard a man, just now, call this very pleasant affair a
jamboree. What constitutes a jamboree?"

"Why, Mr. Fair," said Barbara, in her most captivating drawl, "that's
slang!"

"Yes, I didn't doubt. I hope you're not guilty of never using slang, are
you?"

"O no, sir, but I never use it where I can't wear a shawl over my head.
Still, I say a great many things that are much worse than slang."

"Miss Garnet, you say things that are as good as the best slang I ever
heard."

"Ah!--that's encouraging. Did you ever hear the Misses Kinsington's
rule: Never let your slang show a lack of wit or poverty of words! They
say it's a sure cure for the slang habit. But if you really need to
know, Mr. Fair, what constitutes a jamboree, I can go and ask Uncle
Leviticus for you; that is, if you'll take me to him. He's our butler
to-night, and he's one of the old slave house-servants that you said
you'd like to talk with."

"But I want to talk with you, just now; definitions can wait."

"O you shall; there's every facility for talking there, and it's not so
crowded."

The consumption of refreshments had been early and swift, and they found
the room appropriated to it almost empty. Two or three snug