f we'd read a lot of new-fangled books that we'd never
heard of. I'll admit that was a good way to show us how superior you
were. But this Miss Mitten place is a pretty serious proposition for us
to buck, and I absolutely forbid you to bother your mother with
mentioning it."

Father stood straight and glared at her. There was in him nothing of the
weary little man who was in awe of Miss Mitchin's. Even his daughter was
impressed. She forgot for a moment that she was Mrs. Hartwig, now, and
had the best phonograph in Saserkopee. But she took one more shot:

"All the same, it would be a good thing for you if you had some clever
people--or some society people--coming here often. It would advertise
the place as nothing else would."

"Well, we'll see about that," said Father--which meant, of course, that
he wouldn't see about it.

Lulu Hartwig was a source of agitation for two weeks. After Father's
outbreak she stopped commenting, but every day when business was light
they could feel her accusingly counting the number of customers. But she
did not become active again till the Sunday before her going.

The Applebys were sitting up-stairs, that day, holding hands and
avoiding Lulu. Below them they heard a motor-car stop, and Mother
prepared to go down and serve the tourists. The brazen, beloved voice of
Uncle Joe Tubbs of West Skipsit blared out: "Where's the folks, heh?
Tell 'em the Tubbses are here."

And Lulu's congealed voice, in answer: "I don't know whether they are at
home. If they are, who shall I tell them is calling, please?"

"Huh? Oh, well, just say the Tubbses."

"Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

By this time Father and Mother were galloping down-stairs. They welcomed
the Tubbses with yelps of pleasure; the four of them sat in rockers on
the grass and talked about the Tubbses' boarders, and the Applebys
admired to hear that Uncle Joe now ran the car himself. But all of them
were conscious that Lulu, in a chiffon scarf and eye-glasses, was
watching them amusedly, and the Tubbses uneasily took leave in an hour,
pleading the distance back to West Skipsit.

Not till evening, when he got the chance to walk by himself on the beach
below the gravel cliffs, did Father quite realize what his daughter had
done--that, with her superior manner, she had frightened the Tubbses
away. Yet there was nothing to do about it.

Even at her departure there was a certain difficulty, for Lulu developed
a re