n out of
your minds."

They sighed their relief. He was not given to long speeches and the
effort of his recent deliverances caused him to cough, and the coughing
brought his voice finally to a high wheeze. He had not quite finished
yet, however.

"Now, as for Tom Kirkwood marrying," he went on, "let him marry. It's
none of our business, is it? He married into our family and got the
worst of it. It wasn't a particularly cheerful business, the way it came
out. If he's fool enough to try it again, it's his trouble not ours; and
you can't tell but he might make a go of it next time."

"We have no idea of trying to hinder him," said Mrs. Waterman with
dignity. "As you say, it's Tom's trouble. And of course we could manage
so Phil wouldn't suffer, no matter what he did."

"Phil suffer! Thunder! What are you always talking about Phil for; I
tell you Phil's all right! Phil's got more gumption than all the rest of
us put together. Phil's an honor to the family; she's the best girl in
this town and the best girl in the whole state of Indiana, or the United
States, for that matter. If you have visions of seeing Phil chased over
the back lot by any stepmother, you have another guess coming. Thunder!"

He drew out a white silk handkerchief and blew his nose. The sisters saw
with regret that there was no recurring to the attractive subject of
that interview in Chicago, though their minds were beset with a thousand
questions they wished to ask him about it. They realized that to do so
would be a blunder. They had stumbled upon a gold mine and were obliged
to leave its rich hoard untouched. They returned to Phil, who, as a
topic, offered safer ground than her mother.

"Phil's party," said Mrs. Hastings briskly, "ought to be in keeping with
the family dignity. We thought it a lot better for you to have it in
your house than for us--our own houses are small." (This with
resignation.) "And it doesn't seem quite nice for _us_ to have it in the
Masonic Hall, though some of the nicest people are doing that. To bring
Phil out in her grandfather's house speaks for the whole family. And
it's dear of you to consent to it. We all appreciate that, Amzi."

"Of course it's the place for it!" affirmed Amzi impatiently. "I'll give
that party and you can get whatever Phil needs and do it right; you
understand? And then I want you to give me all the bills. Now what else
do you want?"

"We feel," began Mrs. Fosdick, "that the invitations, which