. "Why,
what nonsense, Walter! I'll bring your coffee in a few minutes, but
we're going to have dessert first."

"What sort?"

"Some lovely peaches."

"Doe' want 'ny canned peaches," said the frank Walter, moving back his
chair. "G'-night."

"Walter! It doesn't begin till about nine o'clock at the earliest."

He paused, mystified. "What doesn't?"

"The dance."

"What dance?"

"Why, Mildred Palmer's dance, of course."

Walter laughed briefly. "What's that to me?"

"Why, you haven't forgotten it's TO-NIGHT, have you?" Mrs. Adams cried.
"What a boy!"

"I told you a week ago I wasn't going to that ole dance," he returned,
frowning. "You heard me."

"Walter!" she exclaimed. "Of COURSE you're going. I got your clothes all
out this afternoon, and brushed them for you. They'll look very nice,
and----"

"They won't look nice on ME," he interrupted. "Got date down-town, I
tell you."

"But of course you'll----"

"See here!" Walter said, decisively. "Don't get any wrong ideas in your
head. I'm just as liable to go up to that ole dance at the Palmers' as I
am to eat a couple of barrels of broken glass."

"But, Walter----"

Walter was beginning to be seriously annoyed. "Don't 'Walter' me! I'm no
s'ciety snake. I wouldn't jazz with that Palmer crowd if they coaxed me
with diamonds."

"Walter----"

"Didn't I tell you it's no use to 'Walter' me?" he demanded.

"My dear child----"

"Oh, Glory!"

At this Mrs. Adams abandoned her air of amusement, looked hurt, and
glanced at the demure Miss Perry across the table. "I'm afraid Miss
Perry won't think you have very good manners, Walter."

"You're right she won't," he agreed, grimly. "Not if I haf to hear any
more about me goin' to----"

But his mother interrupted him with some asperity: "It seems very
strange that you always object to going anywhere among OUR friends,
Walter."

"YOUR friends!" he said, and, rising from his chair, gave utterance to
an ironical laugh strictly monosyllabic. "Your friends!" he repeated,
going to the door. "Oh, yes! Certainly! Good-NIGHT!"

And looking back over his shoulder to offer a final brief view of his
derisive face, he took himself out of the room.

Alice gasped: "Mama----"

"I'll stop him!" her mother responded, sharply; and hurried after the
truant, catching him at the front door with his hat and raincoat on.

"Walter----"

"Told you had a date down-town," he said, gruffly, and would have opened
the door, but