awfully grateful to you for it."

"Well?" he repeated. "That's not all you're thinking, Miss Pat.
You're simpering at some hidden invention of your own, and you know it.
Out with it or we'll put the X-rays on it."

Patricia flung a look at Miss Jinny. "Really and truly I haven't any
secret to confess, Bruce. I was only thinking how very nice it was for
us, Judy and me, that we had such a genius for a sister."

Miss Jinny's eyes twinkled, but Bruce flushed and flicked his cigar ash
into the fire with a dexterous finger.

"What has that to do with your meek and lowly gratitude?" he asked with
the trace of a smile.

"It has everything to do with all of us," responded Patricia promptly.
"We're just the tail of the comet, you know."

Bruce opened his eyes and sat up, piercing Patricia with a keen gaze.
Evidently he found no reserve behind her words, for he broke into a
laugh and shook his head at her.

"I'm in a regular nest of female detectives," he retaliated gayly.
"Between you and Judy I shan't have a single secret left at the end of
the month. I'll have to watch myself like thunder, Miss Jinny, or
they'll make a miserable hen-pecked man of me!"

Miss Jinny grunted amiably at him, and then rose. "I guess you know
what you're about, Bruce Haydon. Don't look to me to protect you,
though, for I'm a mighty active _feminist_, and I can't waste any of my
valuable time taking care of such a common critter as a man." With a
nod to the girls, she beckoned her mother.

"Time for bed, mama dear," she said clearly. "I've got your ginger tea
ready for you, and I guess it's the last you'll want this year." In a
lower tone she explained to the others: "Just brewed it to make her
feel more at home, you know. She doesn't need it in this fiery furnace
of a place."

Mrs. Shelly, with a kindly good-night to Bruce, trotted after them,
fumbling with her watch pocket.

"I declare, if it isn't half-past ten!" she exclaimed, as she snapped
the blue enameled lid of her little watch. "My little girl ought to
have been in bed an hour ago."

Judith twined her arms about her and kissed her fondly.

"It doesn't matter just for tonight, does it, Mama Shelly?" she asked
with pretty deference. "There are going to be such a lot of nights to
go to bed early in."

Mrs. Shelly nodded briskly. "And I'll come sit with you while you're
getting ready," she promised, patting Judith's hand. "We can have some
good talks togethe