'm going to a birthday dinner to-morrow. A girl for whom I'm trustee.
Now, how handsome a present may I send her?"

"H'm. How well do you know her?"

"We are good friends."

"Just about what you please, I should say, if you know her well, and
make money out of her?"

"That is, jewelry?"

"Ye--es."

"Thanks." Peter turned.

"Who is she, Peter? I thought you never did anything so small as that.
Nothing, or four figures, has always seemed your rule?"

"This had extenuating circumstances," smiled Peter.

So when Peter shook hands, the next evening, with the very swagger young
lady who stood beside her mother, receiving, he was told:

"It's perfectly lovely! Look." And the little wrist was held up to him.
"And so were the flowers. I couldn't carry a tenth of them, so I decided
to only take papa's. But I put yours up in my room, and shall keep them
there." Then Peter had to give place to another, just as he had decided
that he would have one of the flowers from the bunch she was carrying,
or--he left the awful consequences of failure blank.

Peter stood for a moment unconscious of the other people, looking at the
pretty rounded figure in the dainty evening dress of French open-work
embroidery. "I didn't think she could be lovelier than she was in her
street and riding dresses but she is made for evening dress," was his
thought. He knew this observation wasn't right, however, so he glanced
round the room, and then walked up to a couple.

"There, I told Mr. Beekman that I was trying to magnetize you, and
though your back was turned, you came to me at once."

"Er--really, quite wonderful, you know," said Mr. Beekman. "I positively
sharn't dare to be left alone with you, Miss De Voe."

"You needn't fear me. I shall never try to magnetize you, Mr. Beekman,"
said Miss De Voe. "I was so pleased," she continued, turning to Peter,
"to see you take that deliberate survey of the room, and then come over
here."

Peter smiled. "I go out so little now, that I have turned selfish. I
don't go to entertain people. I go to be entertained. Tell me what you
have been doing?"

But as Peter spoke, there was a little stir, and Peter had to say
"excuse me." He crossed the room, and said, "I am to have the pleasure,
Mrs. Grinnell," and a moment later the two were walking towards the
dining-room. Miss De Voe gave her arm to Beekman calmly, but her eyes
followed Peter. They both could have made a better arrangement. Most
dinner gue