h this morning, Bibbs?" his mother asked, in the
effort to break up one of those ghastly intervals.

"What did you say, mother?"

"Didn't you go to church this morning?"

"I think so," he answered, as from a roseate trance.

"You THINK so! Don't you know?"

"Oh yes. Yes, I went to church!"

"Which one?"

"Just down the street. It's brick."

"What was the sermon about?"

"What, mother?"

"Can't you hear me?" she cried. "I asked you what the sermon was about?"

He roused himself. "I think it was about--" He frowned, seeming to
concentrate his will to recollect. "I think it was about something in
the Bible."

White-jacket George was glad of an opportunity to leave the room and
lean upon Mist' Jackson's shoulder in the pantry. "He don't know they
WAS any suhmon!" he concluded, having narrated the dining-room dialogue.
"All he know is he was with 'at lady lives nex' do'!" George was right.

"Did you go to church all by yourself, Bibbs?" Sibyl asked.

"No," he answered. "No, I didn't go alone."

"Oh?" Sibyl gave the ejaculation an upward twist, as of mocking inquiry,
and followed it by another, expressive of hilarious comprehension. "OH!"

Bibbs looked at her studiously, but she spoke no further. And that
completed the conversation at the lugubrious feast.

Coffee came finally, was disposed of quickly, and the party dispersed to
other parts of the house. Bibbs followed his father and Roscoe into the
library, but was not well received.

"YOU go and listen to the phonograph with the women-folks," Sheridan
commanded.

Bibbs retreated. "Sometimes you do seem to be a hard sort of man!" he
said.

However, he went obediently to the gilt-and-brocade room in which his
mother and his sister and his sister-in-law had helplessly withdrawn,
according to their Sabbatical custom. Edith sat in a corner, tapping her
feet together and looking at them; Sibyl sat in the center of the room,
examining a brooch which she had detached from her throat; and Mrs.
Sheridan was looking over a collection of records consisting exclusively
of Caruso and rag-time. She selected one of the latter, remarking that
she thought it "right pretty," and followed it with one of the former
and the same remark.

As the second reached its conclusion, George appeared in the broad
doorway, seeming to have an errand there, but he did not speak. Instead,
he favored Edith with a benevolent smile, and she immediately left
the room, George stepping a