and get it--DO!" And Delia pushed him, looked for his hat for him.

"I knew he wanted to print something and I can't say I didn't!" Francie
said. "I thought he'd crack up my portrait and that Mr. Waterlow would
like that, and Gaston and every one. And he talked to me about the
paper--he's always doing that and always was--and I didn't see the harm.
But even just knowing him--they think that's vile."

"Well, I should hope we can know whom we like!"--and Delia bounced
fairly round as from the force of her high spirit.

Mr. Dosson had put on his hat--he was going out for the paper. "Why he
kept us alive last year," he uttered in tribute.

"Well, he seems to have killed us now," Delia cried.

"Well, don't give up an old friend," her father urged with his hand on
the door. "And don't back down on anything you've done."

"Lord, what a fuss about an old newspaper!" Delia went on in her
exasperation. "It must be about two weeks old anyway. Didn't they ever
see a society-paper before?"

"They can't have seen much," said Mr. Dosson. He paused still with his
hand on the door. "Don't you worry--Gaston will make it all right."

"Gaston?--it will kill Gaston!"

"Is that what they say?" Delia demanded.

"Gaston will never look at me again."

"Well then he'll have to look at ME," said Mr. Dosson.

"Do you mean that he'll give you up--he'll be so CRAWLING?" Delia went
on.

"They say he's just the one who'll feel it most. But I'm the one who
does that," said Francie with a strange smile.

"They're stuffing you with lies--because THEY don't like it. He'll be
tender and true," Delia glared.

"When THEY hate me?--Never!" And Francie shook her head slowly, still
with her smile of softness. "That's what he cared for most--to make them
like me."

"And isn't he a gentleman, I should like to know?" asked Delia.

"Yes, and that's why I won't marry him--if I've injured him."

"Shucks! he has seen the papers over there. You wait till he comes," Mr.
Dosson enjoined, passing out of the room.

The girls remained there together and after a moment Delia resumed.
"Well, he has got to fix it--that's one thing I can tell you."

"Who has got to fix it?"

"Why that villainous man. He has got to publish another piece saying
it's all false or all a mistake."

"Yes, you'd better make him," said Francie with a weak laugh. "You'd
better go after him--down to Nice."

"You don't mean to say he's gone down to Nice?"

"Didn't he say he