e telephone receiver from the hook, or
what he should do to amuse himself when his mother looked up from a
letter she was reading and said, "Rollo, how should you like to go to
luncheon to-morrow with your Cousin Stella?"

"Splendid," said Rollo, "anything for a change. But I did not know I
had a cousin Stella. Who is she?"

"She is not really your cousin," said his mother, "but the daughter of
an old friend of mine, Mrs. Bradley. We have always spoken of her as
Aunt Estelle. Stella is about your age. She lives in the city and
would like to have you lunch with her to-morrow at the Ritz. She is a
debutante or what I prefer to call 'a bud.'"

"What is that?" asked Rollo eagerly.

Rollo's mother explained that "a bud" was the term used to describe an
innocent young lady who is just beginning to go about to sociables and
lectures by herself.

So pleased was Rollo with his plans for the morrow that he played
quite contentedly until bedtime and was not surprised to hear his
father say, "Our little Rollo is so good to-day!... there must be
something the matter with him."

Rollo at first thought he should take his luncheon with him in a
basket, but his mother explained that she did not think Mr. Ritz would
like that, and that in the city "luncheon" meant the noon-day meal.

"Remember, my son," said his father, "this is to be your dinner, so
eat heartily and enjoy yourself. Here is a dime for pocket-money, but
be sure not to spend it."

Rollo had no difficulty whatsoever in finding the Ritz, but, once
there and safely through the strange doors which revolved like a great
mill-wheel, it was quite another matter to find his Cousin Stella.
Rollo decided to solve his own difficulty in the simplest way.
Standing in the center of the hall-way, he shouted lustily, "Cousin
Stel-la! Cousin Stel-la!" It was not long before he heard an
answering voice cry, "Rollo," and saw a beautiful young lady waving
and beckoning to him from a table in the corner. Walking toward it,
Rollo said, "Is this Cousin Stella?" It was even so, and Rollo, after
bowing very low and presenting his cousin with a large, bright orange
which he had brought for her, took his place by her side and the
famous luncheon began.

Besides his Cousin Stella there were at the table two others, a young
lady named Anabelle Litchfield and a lad about Rollo's age whose name
was Rupert Hogan. Rollo made his best bow to each and said, "I am very
pleased indeed to make your