rtment.

Oh, I has a real good time for a few days, stewin' over them kids, and
wonderin' how they and Pinckney was comin' on. And then yesterday I
runs across the whole bunch, Miss Gerty and all, paradin' down the
avenue bound for a candy shop, the whole four of 'em as smilin' as if
they was startin' on a picnic.

"Chee, Pinckney!" says I, "you look like you was pleased with the
amateur uncle business."

"Why not?" says he. "You ought to see how glad those youngsters are to
see me when I come in. And we have great sport."

"Hotel people still friendly?" says I.

"Why," says he, "I believe there have been a few complaints. But we'll
soon be out of that. I've leased a country house for the summer, you
know."

"A house!" says I. "You with a house! Who'll run it?"

"S-s-s-sh!" says he, pullin' me one side and talkin' into my ear. "I'm
going West to-night, to bring on her mother, and----"

"Oh, I see," says I. "You're goin' to offer Gerty the job?"

Pinckney gets a colour on his cheek bones at that. "She's a charming
girl, Shorty," says he.

"She's nothin' less," says I; "and them twins are all right too. But
say, Pinckney, I'll bet you never meet a steamer again without knowin'
all about why you're there. Eh?"

VI

THE SOARING OF THE SAGAWAS

Well, I've been doin' a little more circulatin' among the fat-wads.
It's gettin' to be a reg'lar fad with me. And say, I used to think
they was a simple lot; but I don't know as they're much worse than some
others that ain't got so good an excuse.

I was sittin' on my front porch, at Primrose Park, when in rolls that
big bubble of Sadie's, with her behind the plate glass and rubber.

"But I thought you was figurin' in that big house party out to Breeze
Acres," says I, "where they've got a duchess on exhibition?"

"It's the duchess I'm running away from," says Sadie.

"You ain't gettin' stage fright this late in the game, are you?" says I.

"Hardly," says she. "I'm bored, though. The duchess is a frost. She
talks of nothing but her girls' charity school and her complexion
baths. Thirty of us have been shut up with her for three days now, and
we know her by heart. Pinckney asked me to drop around and see if I
could find you. He says he's played billiards and poker until he's
lost all the friends he ever had, and that if he doesn't get some
exercise soon he'll die of indigestion. Will you let me take you over
for the night?"

Well, I've