n and smiled. "I have received a fortune.
Somebody died--you needn't advise me to wear mourning, either, Miriam. I
never saw him in my life, and never even heard of him, and honestly I
think he got me mixed up with somebody else and left the fortune to the
wrong grand-niece, but anyhow it is none of my business, and since he is
dead and the money is here, I suppose there is no chance of his
discovering the mistake and making me refund it after it is spent."

"A fortune," gasped Kitty, tumbling off the arm of the chair and rushing
to fling herself on the floor beside Eveley, warm arms embracing her
knees.

"Root of all evil," murmured Miriam, gazing into space through
half-closed lids, and seeing wonderful visions of complexions and
permanent curls and a manicure every day.

"How fortunate," said Eileen in a voice pleased though still unruffled
and even. "A fortune means safety and protection and--"

"Who the dickens has been butting into your affairs now?" demanded Nolan
peevishly, and though the girls laughed, there was no laughter in his
eyes and no smile on his lips.

"Well, since he calls me his great-niece, I suppose he is my
grand-uncle."

"How much, lovey, how much?" gurgled Kitty, at her side.

"Twenty-five hundred dollars," announced Eveley ecstatically.

Nolan breathed again. "Oh, that isn't so bad. I thought maybe some simp
had left you a couple of millions or so."

Eveley fairly glared upon him. "What do you mean by that? Why a simp? Why
shouldn't I be left a couple of millions as well as anybody else? Maybe
you think I haven't sense enough to spend a couple of millions."

"And why did you require advice?" Eileen queried.

"Oh, yes." Eveley smiled again. "Yes, of course. Now you must all think
desperately for a while--I hate to ask so much of you, Nolan--but perhaps
this once you won't mind--I want you to tell me what to do with the
money."

This was indeed a serious responsibility. What to do with twenty-five
hundred dollars?

"You do not feel it is your duty to spend the twenty-five hundred
pounding Americanism into your Irish-American Wops?" asked Nolan
facetiously.

Eveley took this good-naturedly. "Oh, I got off from work at four-thirty
and went down to their field, and we had a celebration. We had ice-cream
and candy and chewing gum, and I spent twenty-five dollars equipping them
with balls and bats and since I was with them an hour and a quarter, I
feel that I am entitled to the rest