o
the house as guests while the first rate people smiled, and the third
rate people sniffed. The Judge had some difficulty keeping Mrs. Van Dorn
to their purpose. She was impatient--having nothing in particular to
think about, and being proud of her furniture. Naturally, there were
calls--a few. And they were returned with some punctiliousness. But the
people whom the Van Dorns were anxious to see did not call. In the
winter, the Van Dorns went to Florida for a fortnight, and put up at a
hotel where they could meet a number of persons of distinction whom they
courted, and whom the Van Dorns pressed to visit them. When she came
home from the winter's social excursion, Mrs. Van Dorn went straight to
the establishment of Mrs. Herdicker, Prop., and bought a hat; and
bragged to Mrs. Herdicker of having met certain New York social
dignitaries in Florida whose names were as familiar to the Harvey women
as the names of their hired girl's beaux! Then having started this tale
of her social prowess on its career, Margaret was more easily restrained
by her husband from offering the house to the Plymouth Daughters for an
entertainment. It was in that spring that Margaret began--or perhaps
they both began to put on what George Brotherton called the "Van Dorn
remnant sale." The parade passed down Market Street every morning at
eight thirty. It consisted of one handsome rather overdressed man and
one beautiful rather conspicuously dressed woman. On fair days they rode
in a rakish-looking vehicle known as a trap, and in bad weather they
walked through Market Street. At the foot of the stairs leading to the
Judge's office they parted with all the voltage of affection permitted
by the canons of propriety and at five in the evening, Mrs. Van Dorn
reappeared on Market Street, and at the foot of the stairs before the
Judge's office, the parade resumed its course.

"Well--say," said George Brotherton, "right smart little line of staple
and fancy love that firm is carrying this season. Rather nice titles
too; good deal of full calf bindings--well, say--glancing at the
illustrations, I should like to read the text. But man--say--hear your
Uncle George! With me it's always a sign of low stock when I put it all
in the window and the show case! Well, say--" and he laughed like the
ripping of an earthquake. "It certainly looks to me as if they were
moving the line for a quick turnover at a small profit! Well say!"

But without the complicated cere