rothy. It's quite _passe_ to ask me to
tell you all about aviation. That isn't done, not in 1912. Oh
Dor-o-thy! Oh no, no! No-o! No, no. First you should ask me if I'm
afraid when I'm flying. Oh, always begin that way. Then you say that
there's a curious fact about you--when you're on a high building and
just look down once, then you get so dizzy that you want to jump.
Then, after you've said that----Let's see. You're a church member,
aren't you? Well then, next you'd say, 'Just how does it feel to be up
in an aeroplane?' or if you don't say that then you've simply got to
say, 'Just how does it feel to fly, anyway?' But if you're just
_terribly_ interested, Dorothy, you might ask about biplanes _versus_
monoplanes, and 'Do I think there'll ever be a flight across the
Atlantic?' But whatever you do, Dorothy, don't fail to ask me if I'll
give you a free ride when I start flying again. And we'll fly and
fly----Like birds. You know. Or like the Dancing Bacchante.... That's
the way to talk about aviation.... And now you tell me _all_ about
babies!"

"Really, I'm afraid babies is rather a big subject to tell all about!
At a party! Really, you _know_----"

That was the only time Carl was not bored at the party. And even then
he had spiritual indigestion from having been rude.

For the rest of the time:

Every one knew everybody else, and took Carl aside to tell him that
everybody was "the most conscientious man in our office, Ericson; why,
the Boss would trust him with anything." It saddened Carl to hear the
insurance adjuster boom, "Oh you Tottykins!" across the room, at
ten-minute intervals, like a human fog-horn on the sea of ennui.

They were all so uniformly polite, so neat-minded and church-going and
dull. Nearly all the girls did their hair and coquetries one exactly
like another. Carl is not to be pitied. He had the pleasure of
martyrdom when he heard the younger Johnson tell of Martinhurst, the
Suburb Beautiful. He believed that he had reached the nadir of
boredom. But he was mistaken.

After simple and pleasing refreshments of the wooden-plate and
paper-napkin school, Gertie announced: "Now we're going to have some
stunts, and you're each to give one. I know you all can, and if
anybody tries to beg off--my, what will happen----! My brother has a
new one----"

For the third time that month, Carl saw Ray turn his collar round and
become clerical, while every one rustled with delight, including the
jolly bantl