as American freedom with a vengeance! She sat demurely, not daring
to raise her lashes before the scrutiny she felt must be beating upon
her, until her cousins returned, warm-faced and breathless.

"You'll learn all this as soon as you get to the Lodge," Cousin Jim
prophesied, in consolation.

Maria Angelina smiled absently, her big eyes brilliant. Unconsciously
she was wondering what dancing could mean to these elders of hers. . . .
Dancing was the stir of youth . . . the carnival of the blood . . . the
beat of expectancy and excitement. . . .

"Why, there's Barry Elder!" Cousin Jane gave a quick cry of pleasure.

"Barry Elder?"

Cousin Jim turned to look, and Maria Angelina looked too, and saw a
young man making his way to their table. He was a tall, thin, brown
young man with close-cropped curly brown hair, and very bright, deep-set
eyes. He was dressed immaculately in white with a gay tie of lavender.

"Barry? _You_ in town?" Cousin Jane greeted him with an exaggerated
astonishment as he shook her hand.

Maria Angelina noted that he did not kiss it. She had read that this was
not done openly in America but was a mark of especial tenderness.

"Why not?" he retorted promptly. "You seem to forget, dear lady, that I
am again a wor-rking man, without whom the World's Greatest Daily would
lose half its circulation. Of course I'm here."

"I thought you might be taking a vacation--in York Harbor," she said,
laughing.

"Oh, cat!" he derided. "Kitty, kitty, kitty."

"Don't let her kid you, Barry," advised Cousin Jim, delving into his
lobster.

"But since you _are_ here," went on Cousin Jane, "you can meet my little
cousin from Italy, which is the reason why we are here. Her boat came in
this morning and she has never been away from home before. Mr. Elder,
the Signorina Santonini."

"Welcome to the city, Signorina," said the young man, with a quick,
bright smile, stooping to gaze under the huge, white hat. He had odd
eyes, not large, but vivid hazel, with yellow lights in them.

"How do you like New York? What do you think of America? What is your
opinion of prohibition and the uniformity of divorce laws? Have you ever
written _vers libre_? Are----"

"Barry, stop bombarding the child!" exclaimed Mrs. Blair. "You are the
first young man she has met in America. Stop making her fear the race."

"Take him away and dance with him, Jane," said Mr. Blair. "This was
probably prearranged, you know."

If he believed