guess I can cut out the
information! I say, doesn't the Osgood place look fine?"

The great porch at the Osgoods' "palatial residence," as the Winsted
_Courier_ always faithfully referred to the house, was alight with
square pink lanterns. A long strip of carpet ran out to the sidewalk,
and as she stepped upon it, Catherine put her hair back with a quick
gesture and smiled up at her tall companion.

"I tell you, I'm proud to make my entrance by the side of the real
Librarian of the Winsted City Library."

"Leave your scarf here, Catriona darling," said Polly, greeting her
guests in the doorway. "You don't need to prink. Mother, Father, here
are Catherine and Algernon."

Mrs. Osgood came forward and took Catherine's hand with ceremony. Then
she turned to Algernon.

"This is really an occasion. I am delighted, in my new capacity as
Trustee, to salute the Founder and the Mainstay of our Library."

"O!" protested Catherine. "But isn't it perfectly lovely the way the
council did take up with the idea? Was there any hitch at all about it?"

"Not the least," said Mr. Osgood. "You never saw anything smoother. You
young folks certainly struck this town with this library scheme of yours
at the psychological moment. The council was all for it. The tax was
voted, and directors appointed as though it had been talked up for
years."

"And Bertha is a trustee," cried Catherine, seeing Bertha in the group
beyond. "O, Bertha dear, do use your influence to keep Algernon in
office!"

Everybody laughed at that, and Mrs. Osgood threw up her hands.

"We can't help ourselves! No one can ever underbid him, except by paying
for the privilege. Algernon won't take a salary."

Algernon flushed uneasily. "I haven't earned one yet," he muttered. "And
besides, salaries for public positions--"

Some choice fact was refused utterance there, for Algernon, seeing
Catherine's eye upon him, swallowed his harmless 'statistic' and lapsed
into silence.

"Where are Bess and Archie?" fussed Polly. "Every one else is here, and
we do want to begin dancing. I wonder what can have kept them."

"Here they are," called some one. "Hurry up, you two. You're the
latest."

"We've brought our excuse with us," and Archie set down before Mrs.
Osgood a bulky newspaper parcel. Bess, smiling mysteriously, refused to
answer inquiries, and when the greetings were over Archie produced a
knife and started to cut the string.

"Tell them the story first, Archie,