younger or gayer than the young matron, their hostess.

As for Gladys, it was difficult to think of her as married; and to Boots
Drina whispered blissfully: "I look almost as old; I know I do. After
this I shall certainly make no end of a fuss if they don't let me dine
with them. Besides, you want me to, don't you, Boots?"

"Of course I do."

"And--am I quite as entertaining to you as older girls, Boots, dear?"

"Far more entertaining," said that young man promptly. "In fact, I've
about decided to cut out all the dinners where you're not invited. It's
only three more years, anyway, before you're asked about, and if I omit
three years of indigestible dinners I'll be in better shape to endure
the deluge after you appear and make your bow."

"When I make my bow," murmured the child; "oh, Boots, I am in such a
hurry to make it! It doesn't seem as if I _could_ wait three more long,
awful, disgusting years! . . . How does my hair look?"

"Adorable," he said, smiling across at Eileen, who had heard the
question.

"Do you think my arms are very thin? Do you?" insisted Drina.

"Dreams of Grecian perfection," explained Boots. And, lowering his
voice, "You ought not to eat _everything_ they bring you; there'll be
doings to-morrow if you do. Eileen is shaking her head."

"I don't care; people don't die of overeating. And I'll take their nasty
old medicine--truly I will, Boots, if you'll come and give it to me."

The younger Craig maiden also appeared to be bent upon self-destruction;
and Boots's eyes opened wider and wider in sheer amazement at the
capacity of woman in embryo for rations sufficient to maintain a small
garrison.

"There'll be a couple of reports," he said to himself with a shudder,
"like Selwyn's Chaosite. And then there'll be no more Drina and
Daisy--Hello!"--he broke off, astonished--"Well, upon my word of words!
Phil Selwyn!--or I'm a broker!"

"Phil!" exclaimed Nina.. "Oh, Austin!--and you never told us--"

Austin, ruddy and bland, came up to make his excuses; a little whirlwind
of excitement passed like a brisk breeze over the clustered tables as
Selwyn followed; and a dozen impulsive bare arms were outstretched to
greet him as he passed, returning the bright, eager salutations on every
hand.

"Train was late as usual," observed Austin. "Philip and I don't mean to
butt into this very grand function--Hello, Gerald! Hello, Gladys! . . .
Where's our obscure corner below the salt, Nina? . . . Oh, ov