nd futile,
his good humor never failed in his intercourse with them. But they had
not disclosed their hand on this occasion--he was confident of this--and
he warily fortified himself to meet whatever assault their strategy had
planned. The three women glanced at one another covertly: Kate and Fanny
seemed to be deferring to their older sister. It was with unmistakable
diffidence and after a minute scrutiny of her cardcase that Mrs.
Waterman spoke.

"Amzi, this is an important time in Phil's life, and there are some
things we ought to counsel each other about. We all take it for granted
that you know where Lois is."

Amzi crossed his fat legs and shrugged his fat shoulders. He was not in
the least pleased by the direction of the inquiry.

"We feel we are entitled to know all you know about her," added Mrs.
Fosdick.

"You should remember," said Mrs. Hastings, "that she's our sister as
well as yours."

Amzi's jaws tightened and he inspected the end of his cigar. This sudden
manifestation of sisterly interest in Lois was not without its amusing
side. They had long ago spurned their sister with bitterness, and his
speculations as to the real object of their visit had not touched the
remote horizons against which Lois was vaguely limned.

"I don't see," he observed deliberately, "that Lois has anything
whatever to do with Phil or any of the rest of us."

"Of course not, Amzi. That's exactly the point. We only want to be sure
she's a long way off; we're entitled to know that. And we've heard--"

Mrs. Hastings laid upon _heard_ that fine, insinuating inflection that
is a part of the grammar of gossip. His sisters had heard something, and
while he discounted its value automatically, as was his way, he was not
without curiosity as to its nature. They saw that he was interested.

"The Walters have just got back from a Western trip, and they heard in
Seattle that Lois has left Holton. He had been doing badly--drinking,
and all that."

"It was bound to come, of course," said Mrs. Waterman. "You can't tell
me that people who do a thing like that can ever be happy."

Her tone did not please Amzi. It was clear that he found the whole
subject disagreeable. He was immensely annoyed that they had come to him
to discuss Lois after years of silence. It was as though a great rock
planted in the avenue of her exit had succumbed to the tooth of Time and
its exfoliations were falling ominously about him.

"I thought it was unders