ause of the Stories that were going around.
The kind that Mother approved were of the Lilac Division with White
Puff Ties and their Hair glued down. They talked about Choir Practice
and sometimes, when they were sufficiently wrought up, they played
Charades.

The only Chance that Florine had to mingle with the Popular Boys was
to go down Town in the Afternoon and just happen to meet one of them
at the Ice-Cream Parlor. Florine learned to be quite a Happener. But
on the way home she would have to fix up a few Jules Vernes for the
Old Lady in the Watch Tower. Mother knew that it didn't take 4 Hours
to be measured for a Shirt Waist.

"Wait until I get Married," Florine would say. "I'll make that 20-hour
Flyer look like a Steam-Roller. If Mother doesn't let up on me, I'll
learn to smoke Cigarettes."

At times she was so Desperate that she was ready to join a Troupe or
elope with a Drummer. She wanted to get out among the Bright Lights
and hear the Band play. And she knew that she couldn't turn Flip-Flops
and break Furniture and play Rag-Time along after Midnight until
she had become a Respectable. Married Woman. So she had her Distress
Signal out and used to drop very Broad Hints, when she was chatting
with the Lads who happened to be in the Soda-Water Resort when she
dropped in. They liked Florine for Keeps, but when one of them thought
of clinching with old Eagle-Eye, the Family Sleuth, he weakened.

[Illustration: _The Night-Watch._]

Florine would have remained a Dead Card if she had not gone on a Visit
to a neighboring City where she bumped into the Town Trifler. He had
a Way of proposing to every Girl the first time he met her. It always
seemed to him such a cordial Send-Off for a budding Friendship.
Usually the Girl asked for Time and then the two of them would Fiddle
around and Fuss and Make Up and finally send back all the Letters
and that would be the Finish. Florine fooled the foxy Philander. The
Moment he came at her with the Marriage Talk she took a firm Hold and
said, "You're on! Get your License to-morrow morning. Then cut all the
Telegraph Wires and burn the Railroad Bridges."

They were Married, and, strange as it may appear, Mother immediately
resigned her Job as Policeman and said: "Thank goodness, I've got you
Married Off! Now you can do as you please."

When Florine found that she could do as she pleased she discovered
that there wasn't very much of anything to do except Settle Down.
After abou