t my own brother go down if I can keep
him up. I see it in your eye that--"

William flung round to the door and swung it open.

"Get out of here!"

"Oh, is that the answer? Then, all right!"

He picked up his hat, drew on his coat unhurriedly, walked calmly round
the table and lounged out of the bank.

CHAPTER XII

NAN BARTLETT'S DECISION

"Dad's gone to Indianapolis to be gone several days and didn't expect to
be back to-night; so come over and stay with me, won't you--please? If
you won't I'll have to go to Aunt Josephine's, which is a heartbreaking
thought."

This was the second day after the party, and Nan agreed to go. Phil's
maid-of-all-work did not sleep at the house and the aunts had asserted
that Phil's new status as a member of society made necessary some sort
of chaperonage. Nan arrived at the house late in the afternoon and found
Phil opening a box of roses that had just come from Indianapolis by
express.

"American beauties! and grand ones!"

She handed Nan the card and watched her face as she read it.

"I should have guessed Charlie Holton," said Nan colorlessly. "Well,
they're fine specimens."

"It's very nice of him, I think," said Phil. "Particularly when I was so
snippy to him."

"Why did you snip him?" asked Nan, watching Phil thrust the last of the
long stems into a tall vase.

"Oh, he started in to rush me. And I guess he's some rusher. I suppose
he's had a lot of practice."

"I suppose he has," said Nan indifferently.

"And nobody ever gave me just the line of talk he puts up, except of
course Lawr_i_nce."

She feigned to be observing the adjustment of the roses with a
particular interest, and looking round caught Nan frowning.

"Is he trying to flirt with you? I supposed even he had his decent
moments. When did that happen?"

"Oh, at the party; everything happened at the party."

"Two men making love to you on the same evening is a good record for
Montgomery. I suppose Lawrence played the ardent Romeo game; I
understand that he's better 'off' than 'on.' And you snipped him, of
course."

"Oh, I mean to snip them all! Isn't that right?"

"It's pathetic that Lawrence Hastings never quite forgets that he played
the banana circuit in repertoire. That man's an awful bore."

"I find him amusing," said Phil provokingly. "And he always gives me a
box at matinees. Which is just that much more than I ever get out of my
other imitation uncles. If I led him on a trifle,