ld be the center of observation."

"Yes," Vernon teased. "It is rather awkward to engineer a second
debut, while the first bud is still lingering on the parent stem. You
want to look out or she'll leave you at the post."

"Thank you!" Angie tossed her head. "I'm only afraid she will be a
laughing-stock and bring down ridicule on all of us. You and Father
are perfectly idiotic about her. You might be expected to make a fool
of yourself, but I am surprised at Father's interest in her."

"You wouldn't be if you'd heard them the other night, talking about the
oil business; she was actually advising him, and what's more, he took
it thankfully. I couldn't quite get the hang of it myself, but you can
bet I'm going to!" He flourished the book. "Little brother is going
into the oil game!"

"For about two days, I suppose, until something else comes along."
Angie yawned openly. "Thank heaven, there won't be many people here
Tuesday night."

"Who's coming, anyway?" Vernon demanded. "If I have to take in any
giggling idiot of a debutante, you and mother can just count me out!"

"Tell her your troubles then," Angie suggested lazily. "Mr. North and
Winnie will be here, of course; the Erskines, Harrington Chase, the
Judsons, Mrs. Beekman----"

"Me for her!" interjected Vernon. "She's the best all-round sport in
the crowd, and the only girl who can win cups at tennis and polo and
yet manage to look pink-and-white in the evening. I'll ask mother to
let me take her in. What's become of her brother, Kearn?"

"Mr. Thode?" Angie shrugged. "He's out West or down South,
prospecting about, I imagine. Awful bore, I thought him, and so silly
to spend most of his time in the wilds when he could stay in the New
York office and live like a gentleman if he chose."

"A society hanger-on, grafting dinners and week-end parties because
he's good-looking and there with the family tree, but not rich enough
to marry? Thode's too much of a man for that, and I fancy he prefers
to lead a man's life. I'm getting jolly sick of the whole thing
myself, and I'd like to cut it as he has!"

"By the way--" Angie's negligible thoughts had flown off at a
tangent--"isn't it funny about Cal Shirley?"

"What?" Vernon frowned. "Haven't seen him for ages."

"Nor has anyone else. He's simply dropped out of everything, and
to-night I overheard his mother tell Mrs. Erskine that he was going to
winter at Coronado, for the polo. It's odd, wh