woman with
flashing eyes and smiling mouth, whose dress was as neat as a man's and
almost as plain (Lee prided herself on not being "artistic" in dress),
and so waited for further information.

"How do you do, Mrs. Haney?" Lee began. "I'm Mrs. Congdon."

Bertha threw the rug over Mart's knees before turning to offer her hand.
"I'm glad to meet you," she responded, with gravity. "I've seen you on
the street."

Lee couldn't quite make out whether this remark was intended for
reproach or not, but she went on, quickly: "I was just about to call.
Indeed, I came to ask you and Mr. Haney to dine with us on Thursday."
She nodded and smiled at Mart, who sat with impassive countenance
listening with attention--his piercing eyes making her rather
uncomfortable. "We dine at seven. I hope you can come."

Bertha looked up at her husband. "What do you say, Captain?"

"I don't see any objection," he answered, without warmth.

Bertha turned, with still passive countenance. "All right," she said,
"we'll be there. Won't you jump in and take a ride with us?"

Lee, burning with mingled flames of resentment and humor, replied:
"Thank you, I have another call to make--Thursday, then, at seven
o'clock."

"We'll connect. Much obliged," replied Bertha, and sprang into the
carriage. "Go ahead, Dan. Good-day, Mrs. Congdon."

Lee stood for an instant in amazement at this easy, not to say
indifferent, acceptance of her tremendous offering. "Well, if that isn't
cool!" she gasped, and walked on thoughtfully.

Humor dominated her at last, and when she entered Mrs. Crego's house she
was flushed with laughter, and recounted the words of the interview with
so many subtle interpretations of her own that Mrs. Crego was delighted.

Mrs. Congdon did not spare herself. "Helen, she made me feel like a
bill-collector! 'All right,' said she, 'I'll be there,' and left me
standing in the middle of the street. You've got to come now, Helen, to
preserve my dignity."

"I'm wild to come, really. I want to see what she'll do to us
'professional people.' Maybe she will patronize us too."

When Lee told Frank about it at night he failed to laugh as heartily as
she had expected. "That's all very funny, the way you tell it, but as a
matter of fact the girl did all she knew. She accepted your invitation
and civilly asked you to take a ride. What more could mortal woman
proffer?"

"She might have invited me into the house."

"Not at the moment. It was Mart'