moothly laid gray hair. She looked up when the door opened, laid down
the volume that she had been reading, and rose to greet him.

"There you are, Mother," he said, putting his arms around her and
kissing her. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm just about the same, Lester. How have you been?"

"Fine. I was up with the Bracebridges for a few days again. I had
to stop off in Cleveland to see Parsons. They all asked after
you."

"How is Minnie?"

"Just the same. She doesn't change any that I can see. She's just
as interested in entertaining as she ever was."

"She's a bright girl," remarked his mother, recalling Mrs.
Bracebridge as a girl in Cincinnati. "I always liked her. She's so
sensible."

"She hasn't lost any of that, I can tell you," replied Lester
significantly. Mrs. Kane smiled and went on to speak of various family
happenings. Imogene's husband was leaving for St. Louis on some
errand. Robert's wife was sick with a cold. Old Zwingle, the yard
watchman at the factory, who had been with Mr. Kane for over forty
years, had died. Her husband was going to the funeral. Lester listened
dutifully, albeit a trifle absently.

Lester, as he walked down the hall, encountered Louise. "Smart" was
the word for her. She was dressed in a beaded black silk dress,
fitting close to her form, with a burst of rubies at her throat which
contrasted effectively with her dark complexion and black hair. Her
eyes were black and piercing.

"Oh, there you are, Lester," she exclaimed. "When did you get in?
Be careful how you kiss me. I'm going out, and I'm all fixed, even to
the powder on my nose. Oh, you bear!" Lester had gripped her firmly
and kissed her soundly. She pushed him away with her strong hands.

"I didn't brush much of it off," he said. "You can always dust more
on with that puff of yours." He passed on to his own room to dress for
dinner. Dressing for dinner was a custom that had been adopted by the
Kane family in the last few years. Guests had become so common that in
a way it was a necessity, and Louise, in particular, made a point of
it. To-night Robert was coming, and a Mr. and Mrs. Burnett, old
friends of his father and mother, and so, of course, the meal would be
a formal one. Lester knew that his father was around somewhere, but he
did not trouble to look him up now. He was thinking of his last two
days in Cleveland and wondering when he would see Jennie again.

CHAPTER XX

As Lester came down-stairs after ma