en to that!" said her father within, swelling up with
inexpressible satisfaction. "That girl can talk for twenty, right
straight along. She's better than a circus any day. I wonder what
she's up to now."

"Oh, she's probably getting off some of those yarns of hers, or telling
about some people. She can't step out of the house without coming back
with more things to talk about than most folks would bring back from
Japan. There ain't a ridiculous person she's ever seen but what she's
got something from them to make you laugh at; and I don't believe we've
ever had anybody in the house since the girl could talk that she hain't
got some saying from, or some trick that'll paint 'em out so't you can
see 'em and hear 'em. Sometimes I want to stop her; but when she gets
into one of her gales there ain't any standing up against her. I guess
it's lucky for Irene that she's got Pen there to help entertain her
company. I can't ever feel down where Pen is."

"That's so," said the Colonel. "And I guess she's got about as much
culture as any of them. Don't you?"

"She reads a great deal," admitted her mother. "She seems to be at it
the whole while. I don't want she should injure her health, and
sometimes I feel like snatchin' the books away from her. I don't know
as it's good for a girl to read so much, anyway, especially novels. I
don't want she should get notions."

"Oh, I guess Pen'll know how to take care of herself," said Lapham.

"She's got sense enough. But she ain't so practical as Irene. She's
more up in the clouds--more of what you may call a dreamer. Irene's
wide-awake every minute; and I declare, any one to see these two
together when there's anything to be done, or any lead to be taken,
would say Irene was the oldest, nine times out of ten. It's only when
they get to talking that you can see Pen's got twice as much brains."

"Well," said Lapham, tacitly granting this point, and leaning back in
his chair in supreme content. "Did you ever see much nicer girls
anywhere?"

His wife laughed at his pride. "I presume they're as much swans as
anybody's geese."

"No; but honestly, now!"

"Oh, they'll do; but don't you be silly, if you can help it, Si."

The young people came in, and Corey said it was time for his boat.
Mrs. Lapham pressed him to stay, but he persisted, and he would not let
the Colonel send him to the boat; he said he would rather walk.
Outside, he pushed along toward the boat, which p