ourd. A tiny black bonnet, with a wide surcingle of
ribbon tied under her chin, was ornamented with a sort of centerpiece
built of rigid artificial fruit and flowers. Her hair, in brave
defiance of current styles, was rolled into a high pompadour. Beneath
that pompadour, however, her face was aglow with interest and her eyes
gleamed almost as brightly as did the brand-new lavalliere and the bar
pin with its huge six-carat center diamond.

If the mother's appearance was unusual, the daughter's was startling,
what with her size and the barbaric latitude of color she had indulged
herself in. Allegheny's get-up screamed. In the general store at Cisco,
whence it had originated, it had doubtless been considered a sport
costume, for there was a skirt of huge blue and white checks, a crepe
waist of burnt orange, and over that a vegetable-silk sweater, with the
broadest, greenest stripes Gray had ever seen. A violent, offensive
green, it was; and the sweater was too tight. Her hat was large and
floppy and adorned with preposterous purple blooms; one of her hands
was gloved, but upon the other she wore her splendid solitaire. She
"shone" it, as a watchman shines his flashlight.

They were enough to daunt a stronger man than Calvin Gray, these two.
He could well imagine the sensation he and they would create in the
lobby of the modish Ajax. But his first surprise was succeeded by a
gentle pity, for Ma Briskow greeted him rapturously, and in Allegheny's
somber eyes he detected a look of mingled suffering and defiance. She
knew, somehow or other, that she was conspicuous, grotesque, and her
soul was in agony at the knowledge. Before he had spoken a half dozen
words to her, Gray realized that this girl was in torture, and that it
had required a magnificent courage on her part to meet him as bravely
as she did. He was ashamed of himself; amusement at their expense did
him no credit, and he determined to relieve her pain and to help her
attain the likeness of other women if it was in his power to do so. It
was a tribute to his inherent chivalry that he rose to the occasion and
welcomed the women with a cordiality that warmed their hearts.
Enthusiastically he took charge of Ma's lunch basket; against Allie's
muttered protest he despoiled her of her bilious, near-leather
suitcase; he complimented them upon their appearance and showed such
pleasure at seeing them again that they surrendered gratefully to him.
By the time he had them in