urnett and I both are."

"No, you don't," she said. "You look as if it was a very true bill."

"It is," he said; "and it's going to be an awfully big one, too, I'm
afraid."

"I wouldn't have thought you were such a bad man," said the sister ever so
sweetly; "but I like bad men. They interest me. They--"

"There!--I see your finish," said Burnett. "That's one of her favorite
opening plays. It's all up with you, Jack, and your aunt will have to to
go down for another damage suit when you begin to perceive that you have
had enough of our family. But you'll have to get out now, Betty, and let
him get dressed for dinner. You needn't cry about it either for he's even
more attractive in his glad rags than he is in his railway dust--my word of
honor on it."

"I look nice myself when I'm dinner-dressed," said the sister, "so I
sympathize with him and I'll go with pleasure. Good-bye."

She sort of backed toward the door and Jack sprang to open it for her.

"You can kiss her hand, if you like," Burnett said kindly. "They do in
Germany, you know. I don't mind and mamma needn't know."

"May I?" Jack asked her; and then he caught her eye over her brother's
bent head and added, so quickly that there was hardly any break at all
between the words: "Some other time?"

"Some other time," she said, with a world of meaning in the promise; and
then she flashed one wonderful look straight into his eyes and was gone.

"Isn't she great?" Burnett asked, unlocking his suit-case in the most
provokingly every-day style, as if this day was an every-day sort of day
and not the beginning and end of all things. "Oh, I tell you, I'm almost
dotty over that sister myself."

"Do you suppose that I could manage to have her for dinner?" Jack asked,
feeling desperately how dull any other place at the table would be now.

"I don't know. When I go down to my mother I'll try to manage it; shall
I?"

"I wish you would."

"I reckon I can; but, great loads of fire, fellow! don't think you can
play tag with her, and feel funny at the finish. She'll do you up
completely, and never turn a hair herself. She's always at it. She don't
mean to be cruel, but she's naturally a carnivorous animal. It's her
little way."

Jack did not look as dismal as he should have done; he smiled, and looked
out of the window instead.

"She'll have to marry someone some day, you know," he said thoughtfully.

"Have to marry someone some day!" Burnett cried. "Why, she is m