his mood underwent an instant change. His sister had not
been guilty of leaving him to shift for himself. The opportune
appearance of Susan Fitzgerald indicated a proper regard for the
masculine helplessness, which is also, by some obscure process of
reasoning, the badge of masculine superiority. Moreover Susan's
presence furnished the opportunity of setting forth in detail sundry
theories which to Persis were an old story. To a gentleman of Joel's
temperament, a new audience is at times a necessity.

"You won't have much trouble getting my meals," he assured her, his
cold dignity thawing rapidly. "Just set on the dish of apples and
nuts."

Susan's near-sighted eyes narrowed as she gazed at him. "You mean for
dessert?"

"Dessert! When Adam and Eve started housekeeping do you s'pose they
sat down to soup to begin with and wound up with pie? The Lord put 'em
in a garden instead of a butcher's shop, because He wanted 'em to eat
vegetable food and not poison themselves with dead animals." Joel's
voice had grown almost cheerful. His ardor in the dissemination of his
dietetic theories waxed and waned, but when there was a new observer to
be impressed, he always found the crucifixion of his appetites well
worth while. He seated himself at the table with a gesture which
seemed to wave into some remote background the temptation of sausages
and buckwheat cakes.

"No trouble for me. Just set on the nuts and apples, same as our
ancestors ate before they got wiser'n their Creator and learned to cook
their victuals. We're the only animals that ain't satisfied with raw
food. And we're the only ones that are everlastingly kicking about
indigestion."

"I declare!" exclaimed Susan Fitzgerald, carried away by this masterly
logic. "You certainly have your own way of looking at subjects, Mr.
Dale."

"Well, I'll admit that I'm not much at taking up with second-hand
opinions. Now, here's another idea of mine." He held up a walnut
between his thumb and finger. "There's a tree in that, ain't there?"

"Why, yes." Susan's ready admission gave every indication of a
willingness to be impressed.

"Well, what's enough to give a start to a tree that may grow seventy
feet or over, ought to start a man off to his day's work pretty well.
That's my way of reasoning."

"But don't you feel an awful goneness after a breakfast like that?"

"Goneness!" Magnificently Joel waved away the suggestion. "With an
apple and five or s