?"

"Out," says she.

"What a pity!" says I, takin' Vee by the arm. "Tell her how much I
missed her."

"But how did you happen to come up today?" asks Vee.

"There wa'n't any happenin' to it," says I. "I'd got to my limit,
that's all. Honest, Vee, I just had to come. I'd have come if there'd
been forty Aunties, each armed with a spiked club. It's been months,
you know, since I've had a look at you."

"Yes, I know," says she, gazin' at the rug. "You--you've grown,
haven't you?"

"Think so?" says I. "Maybe it's the cut-away coat."

"No," says she; "although that helps. But as we walked in I thought
you seemed taller than I. Let's measure, here by the pier glass. Now,
back to back. Well, if I ever! Look where your shoulders come!"

"No more than an inch or so," says I, gazin' sideways at the mirror;
and then I lets slip, half under my breath, a sort of gaspy "Gee!"

"Why the 'Gee'?" says she, glancin' over her shoulder into the glass.

"Oh, I don't know," says I; "only I don't mind bein' grouped like this,
not a bit."

"Pooh!" says she, but still holdin' the pose.

"Seems to me," says I, "that Cousin Eulalia is a slick describer. That
Princess Charming business ain't so wide."

"Silly!" says she. "Come and sit down."

She was steerin' for the windowseat; but I picks out a cozy little
high-backed davenport and, reachin' for one of her hands, swings her
into that. "Just room for two here," says I.

"But you needn't keep my hand," says she.

"No trouble," says I. "Besides, I thought I'd inspect what kind of a
manicure you take of. M-m-m-m! Pretty fair, no hangnails, all the
half-moons showin' proper, an----" I broke off sudden at that and sat
starin' blank.

"Well, anything else?" says she.

"I--I guess not," says I, lettin' her hand slip. "You've chucked it,
eh?"

"Chucked what?" says she.

"Nothing much," says I. "But for awhile there, you know, just for fun
you was wearin' something of mine."

"Oh!" she flashes back. "Then at last you've missed it, have you?"

"With so much else worth lookin' at," says I, "is it a wonder?"

"Blarney!" says she, stickin' out her tongue.

"Did Aunty capture it?" says I.

Vee shakes her head.

"Maybe you lost it?" I goes on. "It wa'n't much."

"Then you wouldn't care if I had?" says she.

"I wanted you to keep it," says I; "but of course, after all the row
Aunty raised over it, I knew you couldn't."

"Couldn't I, though?" says she,