ing, I can hear father's voice saying alike
to Aunt Lot, myself, or a complaining servant, "The family board is
sacred; meals are not the time for disagreeables."

Immediately after dinner, and before I had a chance to tell Evan, Mrs.
Jenks-Smith stopped on her way home from a drive, the Whirlpoolers not
dining until eight, to ask father if she might take some friends in to
see the hospital to-morrow, an appeal having been recently made for new
bedding, etc., saying: "We're going to have smashing strawberries and
roses this year; they'll come on before the crowd moves along in July,
and we might as well shake up a fete for the hospital as anything else,
as we're bound to keep moving.

"Were you up at Vanderveers this afternoon? Oh, yes, to be sure, I saw
you going down hill as I drove in. Quite a chic affair for a little
between-season place like this; but after all, it's the people, not the
place, that make the pace, isn't it, Miss Dorman? And a swell New Yorker
can leave a wake that'll show the way anywhere.

"You don't look happy, though, Mrs. Evan. The boys ate too much? No?
Roulette a little too high for you?

"Well, my dear, I half agree with you. I think things were a little too
stiff this afternoon for such youngsters; but Vandy is such a liberal
fellow he couldn't do enough,--nor tell when to stop,--actually lugged up
half a dozen bags of new silver and dealt it to the kids in handfuls.
Harm? Why, he didn't see any, I dare say. He wasn't robbing anybody;
besides, I'll bet Monty Bell put him up to it. I know how you feel,
though. I wouldn't play for money myself, if I'd young boys; but as I
haven't, it doesn't matter, and one must be amused. That's the way Mrs.
Latham jogged poor Carthy off and began the gap with her husband. Latham
gambles on change, of course, but drew the line at his house. Didn't know
it? You poor innocent, you're as bad as Sylvia herself. Why, yes, they're
as good as divorced, by mutual agreement, though; he's kept away all of
two years. I expect that they will announce it any time now.

"Won't let the boys keep the money? Don't be silly now and make a fuss;
change it to bills and put it on the church plate; that's what all the
really conscientious women always do with their Lenten winnings
anyway,--that is, when they can afford it.

"I'll allow, though, they didn't manage the drinks well this afternoon.
The lemonade was for the youngsters, and their spread was in the pergola;
the nex