d cat, and Mrs. Calvin gave to Mrs. Nesbit for
remarks as to the biennial presence of Mr. Calvin in the barn (repeated
to Mrs. Calvin), the eyebrow having been around the company comes back
to Mrs. Fenn.

After which Mrs. Nesbit moves with what dignity her tonnage will permit
out of the perfumed air, out of the concord of sweet sounds into the
street. Mrs. Fenn, who was looking for it all the afternoon, that thing
she dreaded and anticipated with fear in her heart's heart, found it. It
was exceedingly cold--and also a shoulder of some proportions. And it
chilled the flowing sap of the perfect flower so that the flower
shivered in the breeze made by the closing door, though the youngest
Miss Morton presiding at the door thought it was warm, and Mrs.
Herdicker thought it was warm and Mrs. Violet Hogan said to Mrs. Bowman
as they went through the same door and met the same air: "My land,
Bowman, did you ever see such an oven?" and then as the door closed she
added:

"See old Mag Fenn there? I just heard something about her to-day. I bet
it's true."

Thus the afternoon faded and the women went home to cook their evening
meals, and left Mrs. Herdicker, Prop., with a few late comers--ladies of
no particular character who had no particular men folk to do for, and
who slipped in after the rush to pay four prices for what had been left.
Mrs. Herdicker, Prop., was straightening up the stock and snapping
prices to the girls who were waiting upon the belated customers. She
spent little of her talent upon the sisterhood of the old, old trade,
and contented herself with charging them all she could get, and making
them feel she was obliging them by selling to them at all. It was while
trade sagged in the twilight that Mrs. Jared Thurston, Lizzie Thurston
to be exact, wife of the editor of the South Harvey _Derrick_ came
in. Mrs. Herdicker, Prop., knew her of old. She was in to solicit
advertising, which meant that she was needing a hat and it was a swap
proposition. So Mrs. Herdicker told Mrs. Thurston to write up the
opening and put in a quarter page advertisement beside and send her the
bill, and Mrs. Thurston looked at a hat. No time was wasted on her
either--nor much talent; but as Mrs. Thurston was in a business way
herself, Mrs. Herdicker, Prop., stopped to talk to her a moment as to an
equal--a rare distinction. They sat on a sofa in the alcove that had
sheltered the orchestra behind palms and ferns and Easter lilies, and
c