f convincing sincerity.
She even clasped her hands to emphasize her admiration.

Mrs. McMahon preened herself, and tossed her head; so that feathers and
flowers dashed their hues worse than before.

"It's nothing so much! It's just some odds and ends they threw together
for me!"

"Odds and ends!" Cicily repeated, in a hushed voice; and she added,
truthfully: "I never saw anything like it in my life." She purposely
avoided directly addressing Mrs. Schmidt, for she was aware of the
woman's painful shyness. "It was ever so good of you to come around this
afternoon," she went on. "I'm going to have some friends here to meet
you."

"Gentleman friends?" Sadie questioned, eagerly. Her face fell when
Cicily answered in the negative, and she could not restrain an
ejaculation of disappointment.

Mrs. McMahon felt it incumbent on her to administer a rebuke to the
girl.

"What do you care, Sadie, so long as they're Mrs. Hamilton's friends?"
And she added majestically, turning to her hostess: "Excuse her, ma'am."

At this public correction, Sadie flushed scarlet, and glanced
appealingly toward Mrs. Schmidt.

"What a nerve!" she commented, angrily. Then, she addressed Mrs. McMahon
herself. "If you will pardon me, Mrs. McMahon," she said, very
haughtily, "I prefer to present my own apologies in individual person."
And, finally, she turned to Cicily. "Mrs. Hamilton, if you consider my
interrogation regarding the sex of your guests impertinent, my humblest
apologies are at your disposal."

"And she didn't choke!" the Irishwoman murmured, admiringly.

Cicily insisted that there was no occasion for apology, and afterward
went on to explain something as to the character and aims of the Civitas
Society for the Uplift of Women. But here, at once, she found herself
beset with unexpected difficulties. Mrs. McMahon drew herself up with
all the dignity of her great bulk, and voiced her feeling by the tone in
which she asked:

"I would like to know, Mrs. Hamilton, if you think we are subjects for
uplifting?"

"Can you beat it!" Sadie cried, in outraged pride.

Cicily hastened to soothe her guests by an explanation that was more
ingenious than ingenuous.

"You don't understand," she remonstrated. "This is the club I spoke to
you about. I want you to become members of the society. We need you to
help in the work."

"You're on!" Sadie declared, with gusto. Again, she realized how she had
departed from her idols. "I would say," s