d gave her a playful shake.

"It takes Ju to show up our little mistakes, doesn't it, Mrs. Nat?" she
cried gayly. "Thank you, Judy, for them kind words. I won't be a
cry-baby again; I promise you that. Come, Norn, tell us what you and
Bruce have been up to while we've been wandering toward the sunny South
this last two weeks. Is your stained glass window done, Norn, and has
Marty been behaving as well as ever? Oh, there's such a lot to talk
about, it's hard to know where to begin."

Mrs. Spicer laid aside her wraps and drew a deep chair to the fire. "I
move we get thawed out while we gabble," she proposed, with her deep,
husky chuckle. "I'm so frozen that it'll take a week of Sundays to shed
my icicles. This zero weather isn't particularly inspiring after the
balmy breezes of the Gulf Stream."

"Oh, do let's stay in for tea and go without any real dinner, Elinor,"
begged Patricia, impulsively. "Bruce said we were to take dinner at the
Ritz as a special treat, but I'd ever so much rather stay home for this
one night, if you don't mind."

Elinor looked inquiringly at her husband, who nodded and disappeared
into the adjoining room, and then she smiled at Mrs. Spicer and nodded
reassuringly at Judith, whose rather troubled expression did not escape
the quick eyes of her impetuous sister.

"Will it disappoint you, Judy?" she asked with slightly dampened ardor.
"I never thought of your being set on it----"

Judith waved her aside with a gesture of calm benignity. "I should
hope," she said magnificently, "that I could do without _food_ as well
as any of you." And she seated herself on the stool beside Mrs. Spicer
with an air of having settled the matter.

Patricia could not resist a ripple of merriment at her imposing manner.
"Squelched again," she laughed, trying vainly to look humble and
repentant. "Elinor, you really oughtn't to let Judy sacrifice herself
like this. She----"

Elinor sank into another wide chair at the opposite side of the hearth.
"We're only too glad to stay indoors this bitterly cold weather," she
replied easily. "Judith was just wishing before you came that we could
have a cosy supper here, but we all thought it would be more festive to
celebrate in some more lively spot than the old studio. We didn't have
any tea for you this afternoon because we wanted you to enjoy the dinner
all the more."

Patricia still looked rather uncertainly at Judith, whose dignified
manner was as impassive as ever. "