at once."

"Stopped!" he retorted. "Who's going to make me? I come from a free
country where every fellow is his own boss. I'll do as I please. What do
I care about the laws of these little brown monkeys! Where would they be
anyhow if it wasn't for America? Didn't we yank 'em out of their
hermits' nest and make them play the game whether they wanted to or not?
They had better lay low! Don't they know there are ninety millions of
us? Why, with one hand tied behind we could lick the Rising Sun clean
off their little old flag!"

If it ever happened, I wondered about what point in the battle I could
locate Mr. Pinkey Chalmers. The more he talked, the less I was sure of
my pet belief in the divine right of the individual. Then my heart
jumped; I saw Page Hanaford coming.

"The maid was unable to find the book I came for. She directed me here.
Do I interrupt?" he asked on reaching us, bowing slightly and looking
inquiringly from my frowning face to Pinkey Chalmers's wrathful one.

"Interrupt? No," said that youth. "Welcome to our prayer-meeting! I've
planned a picnic and a sail for Zura and me to-night. This lady says it
shall not be and I'm speculating who's going to stop it."

Page stepped quietly up to the defiant Pinkey. "I will, Mr. Chalmers, if
necessary. I know nothing of your plans, but in this place Miss
Jenkins's word is law. You and I are here to obey it as gentlemen."

Tommy blazed. "Gentlemen! Who are you, I'd like to know, pushing in and
meddling with my affairs," he said.

At the challenge the old look of confusion momentarily clouded Page's
eyes. Then with an effort he found himself. "My ancestry would not
appeal to you, sir. But"--half good-humoredly--"the punch of my fist
might."

[Illustration: Page started forward. A sound stopped him]

"Oh h--h--ho!" stuttered Pinkey, angry and game. "You want to fight, do
you! Light in! I'm ready."

Page started forward. A sound stopped him. It was voices singing an
age-old nursery tune:

"Skip to my loobyloo,
Skip to my loobyloo,
Skip to my loobyloo
All of a Saturday morning."

It was a strange and curious sight in that wonderful old garden. Down
the sandy path under the overhanging blossoms came Jane and Zura,
skipping and bowing in time to the game's demands. The last line brought
them to us. Hand in hand they stopped, Zura dishevelled, Jane's hat
looking as if it grew out of her ear, but old maid and young were
laughing and happy as c