that she was not at all worried. Jarvis had no
doubt decided to celebrate the success in the usual masculine way. He
would come home later, with a headache.

"But Jarvis isn't a drinking man, is he?" the Professor inquired.

"No, but it's the way men always celebrate, isn't it?"

The Professor wanted the whole story of the writing of the book, the
prize winning, Mr. Frohman's order, and all, so, after breakfast, she
made a clean breast of it, and they laughed over it for a couple of
hours. Then Jarvis's message came. Her face quivered as she read it.

"What is it, dear? Is it Jarvis?"

She nodded, the slow tears falling.

"He isn't hurt?"

"Not physically hurt, but I've hurt his feelings. Oh, Daddy, I've made
such a mess of it. I wanted to be dazzled by my success, because he
thinks I'm a helpless sort of thing, and now he only hates me for it."

She broke down and wept bitterly. The Professor, distressed and
helpless, took her into his arms and petted her.

"There, there, Baby, it will work out all right. Just let us go home,
where we're used to things, and everything will look different."

"Yes, that's it, we'll all go home," sobbed Bambi, wiping her eyes.

"Where is Jarvis?"

"I don't know. But I can leave word for him here that we've gone back
home."

"Then we can get the two o'clock train. Nothing but misery comes to
people in these cities."

By dint of much hurry they caught the train, Ardelia protesting up to
the moment when the train started that they couldn't possibly make it.
Bambi sat, chin on hand, all the way, a sad, pale-faced figure. No one
could suspect, to see her now, that she had been the brilliant
flame-thing of the night before. Once the Professor patted her hand and
she tried to smile at him, but it wasn't much of a success.

When they entered the house, and Ardelia bustled about to get them some
tea, Bambi sat dejectedly, with all her things on, among the
travelling-bags.

"Be of good courage, little daughter," her father said.

"Oh, Father Professor, are the fruits of success always so bitter--so
bitter?" she cried to him.

XXX

The first week of the play went by, and it was an assured success. The
royalty for the first seven days was a surprise, which would have thrown
Bambi into raptures under ordinary circumstances. But the Bambi of these
days and rapture were no longer playmates.

There had been no word from Jarvis since that time of the first brief
message. Bam