those things can happen in your own family. . . . I went
straight home and blew up Molly--haven't had a sight of Janet yet--and
of course she bawled. Always does. When I told her that Janet had
been at Farren's alone she protested that Janet had told her she was
going to bed early that night. Even last night, when she had a theatre
party, she understood that some young married woman was along. But
Molly's a fool. What on earth am I to do with Janet? There were no
such girls in my young days. Some of them were bad uns, but as
discreet as you make 'em. Didn't disgrace their families. Some of
them used to drink, right enough, but they were as smooth as silk in
public, and went to a sanitarium to sober up when it got the best of
'em. But these girls appear to be about as discreet as street-walkers.
You don't think they kick over the traces, do you?"

"I'm dead sure that Janet hasn't. She puts on the cap and bells partly
because it's the fashion, partly because she thinks girls are alive and
having their fun for the first time. But she's no fool. She nearly
floored me once or twice. She'll take care of herself."

"Girls don't take care of themselves when they're drunk. But I've an
idea there's something else the matter with her. At least mother has?"

"Something else?"

"In love."

"Well, there's your chance to marry her off. The sooner the better.
But why should it drive her to drink? If she's fixed her affections on
any of those chaps that dance at her beck----"

"She hasn't. She's in love with you."

"What!" Clavering dropped his fork. When the waiter had rushed to
present him with another and retired, he still stared at Oglethorpe as
if he had been stunned by a blow between the eyes. "Whatever--what on
earth put such an idea into Mrs. Oglethorpe's head? The child can't
endure me. She pretty well proved it last night, and I've always known
she disliked me--since she grew up, that is. To be perfectly frank,
aside from the fact that I don't care for young girls, she always
irritates me like the deuce, and I've never made any secret of it.
Night before last I couldn't well have made myself more disagreeable if
I'd rehearsed for the part."

Oglethorpe grinned. "Lot you know about girls. Just the way to make
'em crazy about you. Like all idealists, you don't know a thing about
women. Being a rank materialist myself, I know 'em like a book. The
emancipated flapper is just plain female un