oming home to-night, and
Norma had missed him for the three weeks he had been away, duck-shooting
in the South, and liked the thought that he was homeward bound.

She found Leslie with Annie to-day, in Annie's big front bedroom. Leslie
was in a big chair by the bed where Annie, with some chalky preparation
pasted in strips on those portions of her face that were most inclined
to wrinkle, was lying flat. Her hair, rubbed with oils and packed in
tight bands, was entirely invisible, and over her arms, protruding from
a gorgeous oriental wrap, loose chamois gloves were drawn. Annie had
been to a luncheon, and was to appear at two teas, a dinner, and the
theatre, and she was making the most of an interval at home. She looked
indescribably hideous, as she stretched a friendly hand toward Norma,
and nodded toward a chair.

"Look at the child's colour--Heavens! what it is to be young," said
Annie. "Sit down, Norma. How's Alice?"

"Lovely!" Norma said, pulling off her gloves. "She had a wire from
Chris, and he gets back to-night. I had luncheon with your mother, and I
am to go to stay with her for two or three nights, anyway. But Aunt
Alice said that she would like to have me back again next week for her
two teas."

"How old are you, Norma?" Annie asked, suddenly. Any sign of interest on
her part always thrilled the girl, who answered, flushing:

"Nineteen; twenty in January, Aunt Annie."

"I'm thinking, if you'd like it, of giving you a little tea here next
month," Annie said, lazily. "You know quite enough of the youngsters now
to have a thoroughly nice time, and afterward we'll have a dinner here,
and they can dance!"

"Oh, Aunt Annie--if I'd like it!" Norma exclaimed, rosy with pleasure.

"You would?" Annie asked, looking at a hand from which she had drawn the
glove, and smiling slightly. "It means that you don't go anywhere in the
meantime. You're not out until then, you know!"

"Oh, but I won't be going anywhere, anyway," Norma conceded,
contentedly.

"You'll have a flood of invitations fast enough after the tea," Annie
assured her, pleased at her excitement, "and until then, you can simply
say that you are not going out yet."

"Chris said he might take me to the opera on the first night; I've never
been," Norma said, timidly. "But I can explain to him!"

"Oh, that won't count!" Annie assured her, carelessly. "We'll all be
there, of course! Have you worn the corn-coloured gown yet?"

"Oh, no, Aunt Annie!"