the
Pan-Hellenic, and so on. And there are dinners in courses, and bridge no
end!"

"Bridge!"

Lois shrugged her shoulders, lifted her pretty brows, and tossed the
nail-polisher on to the bureau to emphasize her contempt for bridge in
all its forms.

"As to young men, Phil. Tell me all about the Montgomery cavaliers."

"Oh, every girl knows all the boys. They are divided into two classes as
usual, nice and un-nice. Some of them have flirted with me and I have
flirted with them. I suppose there was nothing very naughty in that."

"We will pass that for the present. Tell me about the young fellows who
pay you attentions."

Phil ran over the list, Lois interrupting when some familiar name
arrested her attention. Phil hit off one after the other in a few apt
phrases. Her mother in a rocking-chair, with arms folded, was more
serious than in any of their previous talks. What Phil disclosed was
only the social experience of the average country-town girl. The fact
that she had made a few acquaintances in Indianapolis interested her
mother.

"The Fitches? Yes; nice people. That was through your father? All right.
Go on."

"Well, there are the two Holton boys," said Phil, self-conscious for the
first time. "You see, my aunts thought everything ought to be fixed up
with the Holtons, and they asked Mr. and Mrs. William to my party, and
threw in Charlie and Ethel, and I suggested that they add Fred, too.
They are Samuel's children. There being the two brothers it didn't seem
nice to leave out one; and I already knew Fred anyhow."

"Why this sudden affection of your aunts for the Holtons?--there is a
reason for everything those creatures do."

"Mrs. William is stylish and does things. Her maid wears a cap when she
opens the door, and Mrs. William makes her calls in a neat electric."

"Everything is explained quite satisfactorily, Phil. Amzi told me our
sisters had buried the hatchet, but he didn't put it quite as clearly as
you do. He did tell me, though, that Jack had spoiled your beautiful
party by turning up drunk. That was nasty, vile," she added, shrugging
her shoulders. "Well, about these nephews?"

"Charlie is older, and very citified; quite the most dashing man who
lightens our horizons. He sends me flowers and bon-bons, most expensive.
And he's a joy at paying compliments; makes you feel that you're the
only one, or tries to. He has very large ideas about business and life
generally. But nice, I think, and ki