various other social lights to meet him, that the butler who passed
him his soup and helped him liberally to wine was the Hon. John
Warrington Bunny, trustee.

"Well," said Henriette, as she gazed delightedly at the president's
certified check for one million four hundred thousand dollars--the
amount of the loan less the bonus--"that was the best sport yet. Even
aside from the size of the check, Bunny, it was great chasing the old
man to cover. What do you think he said to me when he left, the poor,
dear old innocent?"

"Give it up--what?"

"He said that I ought to be very careful in my dealings with men, who
might impose upon my simplicity," laughed Henriette.

"Simplicity?" I roared. "What ever gave him the idea that you were
simple?"

"Oh--I don't know," said Henriette, demurely. "I guess it was because I
told him I kept those bonds in twenty safe-deposit vaults instead of in
one, to protect myself in case of loss by fire--I didn't want to have
too many eggs in one basket."

"H'm!" said I. "What did he say to that?"

Henriette laughed long and loud at the recollection of the aged bank
president's reply.

"He squeezed my hand and answered, 'What a child it is, indeed!'" said
Henriette.

VI

THE ADVENTURE OF THE FRESH-AIR FUND

It was a bright, sunny morning in the early summer when Henriette,
gazing out of the dining-room windows across the lawns adjoining the
Rockerbilt place, caught sight of a number of ragamuffins at play there.

"Who are those little tatterdemalions, Bunny?" she asked, with a
suggestion of a frown upon her brow. "They have been playing on the
lawns since seven o'clock this morning, and I've lost quite two hours'
sleep because of their chatter."

"They are children from Mrs. Rockerbilt's Fresh-Air Society," I
explained, for I, too, had been annoyed by the loud pranks of the
youngsters and had made inquiries as to their identity. "Every summer,
Digby, Mr. de Pelt's valet, tells me, Mrs. Rockerbilt gives a tea for
the benefit of the Fresh-Air Fund, and she always has a dozen of the
children from town for a week beforehand so as to get them in shape for
the function."

"Get them in shape for the function, Bunny?" asked Henriette.

"Yes; one of the features of the tea is the presence of the youngsters,
and they have to be pretty well rehearsed before Mrs. Rockerbilt dares
let them loose among her guests," said I, for Digby had explained the
scheme in detail to me. "You see,