Kind Friend to every Girl he knew, but playing
no Favorites. He kept the Parents guessing. He had been Exposed to
Matrimony so often without being Taken Down, that he was generally
regarded as an Immune.

Clara got Busy with herself and hatched a Scheme. When all the Smart Set
got ready to pike away for the Heated Term, Clara surprised her Friends
by guessing that she would remain at Home. It was a Nervy Thing to do,
because all the Social Head-Liners who could command the Price were
supposed to flit off to a Summer Hotel, and loiter on the Pine Veranda
and try to think they were Recuperating.

Clara told her Mother to go, as usual, but she would stay at Home and be
a Companion to poor lonesome Papa. So all the Women went away to the
Resorts with their Cameras and Talcum Powder and Witch Hazel, and Clara
was left alone in Town with the Men.

[Illustration: CLARA]

It is a Traditional Fact that there is no Social Life in Town during the
Dog Days. But there is nothing to prevent a Bright Girl from Starting
Something. That is what Clara did.

She stocked up the Refrigerator, and hung a Hammock on the Lawn with a
few Easy Chairs around it. The Young Men marooned in Town heard of the
Good Thing, and no one had to tear their Garments to induce them to
come. They arrived at the rate of from Seven to Twelve a Night, and
dipped into Papa's Cigars and the Liquid Nourishment, regardless.
Although Clara had remained in town to act as Companion to Papa, it was
noticed that when she had all the Company in the Evening, Papa either
had been Chloroformed and put to Bed or else he had his Orders to stay
Under Cover.

Clara did not send for the Treasurer of the Shoe Factory. She knew
better than to go out after her Prey. She allowed him to find his Way to
the House with the others. When he came, she did not chide him for
failing to make his Party Call; neither did she rush toward him with a
Low Cry of Joy, thereby tipping her Hand. She knew that the Treasurer of
the Shoe Factory was Next to all these Boarding School Tactics, and
could not be Handled by the Methods that go with the College Students.
Clara had enjoyed about ten years' Experience in handling the Creatures,
and she had learned to Labor and to Wait. She simply led him into the
Circle and took his Order, and allowed him to sit there in the Gloaming
and observe how Popular she was. All the men were Scrapping to see who
would be Next to sit in the Hammock with her. It look