there hoping to get kissed.

Presently Mr. Siddons, who dealt in "Real Estate and Loans" and passed
the plate at the Presbyterian church, came out on the platform with
another man. Mr. Siddons was little and wiry and dark and not handsome;
Missy didn't much care for him as it is not possible to admire a man who
looks as if he ought to run up a tree and chatter and swing from a limb
by a tail; besides he was well known to be "stingy." But his soul must
be all right, since he was a deacon; and he was a leading citizen,
and generally introduced speakers at the Lyceum Course. He began his
familiar little mincing preamble: "It gives me great pleasure to have
the privilege of introducing to you a citizen so distinguished and
esteemed--"

Esteemed!

Then the other man walked forward and stood beside the little table with
the glass and pitcher of water on it. Missy felt constrained to cast a
look at the Honourable Ridgeley Holman Dobson.

Well, he was rather handsome, in a way--one had to admit that; he was
younger than you expect lecturers to be, and tall and slender, with
awfully goodlooking clothes, and had dark eyes and a noticeable
smile--too noticeable to be entirely sincere and spontaneous, Missy
decided.

He began to speak, about something that didn't seem particularly
interesting to Missy; so she didn't pay much attention to what he was
saying, but just sat there listening to the pleasing flow of his voice
and noting the graceful sweep of his hands--she must remember that
effective gesture of the palm held outward and up. And she liked the
way, now and then, he threw his head back and paused and smiled.

Suddenly she caught herself smiling, almost as if in response, and
quickly put on a sternly grave look. This woman-kissing siren!--or
whatever you call men that are like women sirens. Well, she, for one,
wouldn't fall for his charms! She wouldn't rush up and knock other women
down to kiss him!

She was flaunting her disapproval before her as a sort of banner when,
finally, the lecturer came to an end and the audience began their noisy
business of getting out of their seats. Missy glanced about, suspicious
yet alertly inquisitive. Would the women rush up and kiss him? Her eyes
rested on prim Mrs. Siddons, on silly Miss Lightner, on fat, motherly
Mrs. Allen, Kitty's mother. Poor Kitty, if her mother should so disgrace
herself!--Missy felt a moment's thankfulness that her own mother was
safely home in bed.

A l