then."

"What are you two conspirators hatching up over there in the corner?"
called Bruce from the fireside. "We're making out our schedule, and
you don't know what you're missing!"

Settled in their places--they already had their own selected places in
the ingle nook--with Mrs. Shelly rocking contentedly in the center of
the half circle and Bruce smoking in the deep armchair, they grew
enthusiastic again over the delightful prospect of the month that Bruce
outlined for them.

"Judy, of course, will go to school," he said, blowing a little smoke
ring at her. "Miss Pat will go to the sculpturing as usual, but may
have a hand in any game here that she is able to hold up. You'll learn
a heap, Paddy Malone, if you keep those ears of yours open, for
Grantly, the fellow who is doing the bas-reliefs for the State Capitol
building, will be about occasionally, and he's a cracker-jack in his
line."

"See here," interrupted Miss Jinny, cocking her eyes severely at Bruce.
"I'm not going to have Patricia hobnobbing with those _Bohemians_!"

Bruce roared with laughter. "My dear Dragon!" he cried, "don't you be
afraid of your precious charges. Grantly hasn't any time to waste on
young 'uns like Miss Pat. He's _working_, I tell you, and he doesn't
like young ladies, anyway. Her only chance would be to overhear him
spouting to me, which if she's discreet she may occasionally be able to
do."

"Oh, indeed!" said Miss Jinny subsiding. "Well, that's another matter.
I don't object to that."

"Hope not," retorted Bruce amiably. "Now as to Elinor." He stopped
for so many rings that Judith stirred and cleared her throat
impatiently, whereon he grinned cheerfully at her and went on. "As to
Elinor. She will keep on with the night life, but the rest of her time
will be spent in the studio here, working on studies and cartoons for a
big wall decoration for a church, and a stained glass window for the
same church--a purely mythical one, my dear Dragon, but intended to
develop our promising student more rapidly than the easygoing method of
the schools. What do you say to the program, young ladies?"

Patricia smiled at Elinor's fervid response and Judith's calm approval,
but she uttered never a word, though Bruce looked at her inquiringly.

"Well?" he said at last. "What's the verdict?"

"I think it is simply great," replied Patricia with a ripple of mirth.
"I honestly do, Bruce. I'm going to have a gorgeous time, and I'm