has scornfully refused
to join. That is not the point, however. The point is that I maintain
that neither of them is fit for respectable people to associate with."
She felt that her summary was precipitate, and drawing herself up
defiantly looked hard at Mrs. Leslie. The President was regarding her
impassively.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because! As you force me to say it, Mr. Gwynne is out at Old Inn until
all hours of the night. I have seen him riding home as late as half-past
ten again and again. And I happen to know that before _that_ Lady
Victoria came, they were practically alone in the house on Russian Hill
one whole night. Mrs. Filkins, as you know, lives on Taylor Street, and
she saw Paula Stone pass her house in the afternoon looking as mad as a
hornet--she was sure she wasn't going back, and found out afterwards
that she hadn't; and she saw Mr. Gwynne come down those steps at seven
o'clock the next morning--going to catch the seven-thirty boat--looking
as pleased with himself as Punch. But I might have stood all that for a
while yet; I might have given Isabel the benefit of the doubt, since she
had _asked_ Paula to chaperon her, and might have found out too late
that she had gone--for she was gallivanting herself all day; I might
have overlooked his staying so often till ten-thirty--although I
maintain that an unmarried girl living alone on a ranch without even
female help is a disgrace to any community--yes, I might have swallowed
that for a while longer; but this morning--at three o'clock--I
saw--_with my own eyes, ladles_--Mr. Gwynne riding home from Old Inn on
Isabel Otis's sorrel horse Kaiser. Now I, for one, don't stand for such
goings on. I propose that instead of passing a vote of thanks to Mr.
Gwynne we pass a resolution to _cut_ both of them, and show them what a
decent community is."

She sat down in her flounces, and Mrs. Wheaton rose and seconded the
motion. The others looked rather frightened, although alert and
interested, and Mrs. Colton rose hastily and proposed that before
putting such a momentous question to the vote, the whole matter should
be thoroughly investigated.

"We must also have the advice of our President," she added. "For my
part, although I do not approve of young unmarried women living alone,
still I cannot believe such dreadful things of anybody, let alone Isabel
Otis. I am glad Anabel is not here. She would never listen to any
insinuation against Isabel, and might be temp