, and there was
still left that ridiculous incident of the comfort.

Bella came up after I had gone to bed, and turned on the light to brush
her hair.

"If I don't leave this mausoleum soon, I'll be carried out," she
declared. "You in bed, Lollie Mercer and Dal flirting, Anne hysterical,
and Jim making his will in the den! You will have to take Aunt Selina
tonight, Kit; I'm all in."

"If you'll put her to bed, I'll keep her there," I conceded, after some
parley.

"You're a dear." Bella came back from the door. "Look here, Kit, you
know Jim pretty well. Don't you think he looks ill? Thinner?"

"He's a wreck," I said soberly. "You have a lot to answer for, Bella."

Bella went over to the cheval glass and looked in it. "I avoid him all
I can," she said, posing. "He's awfully funny; he's so afraid I'll think
he's serious about you. He can't realize that for me he simply doesn't
exist."

Well, I took Aunt Selina, and about two o'clock, while I was in my first
sleep, I woke to find her standing beside me, tugging at my arm.

"There's somebody in the house," she whispered. "Thieves!"

"If they're in they'll not get out tonight," I said.

"I tell you, I saw a man skulking on the stairs," she insisted.

I got up ungraciously enough, and put on my dressing gown. Aunt Selina,
who had her hair in crimps, tied a veil over her head, and together we
went to the head of the stairs. Aunt Selina leaned far over and peered
down.

"He's in the library," she whispered. "I can see a light."

The lust of battle was in Aunt Selina's eye. She girded her robe about
her and began to descend the stairs cautiously. We went through the hall
and stopped at the library door. It was empty, but from the den beyond
came a hum of voices and the cheerful glow of fire light. I realized the
situation then, but it was too late.

"Then why did you kiss her in the dining room?" Bella was saying in her
clear, high tones. "You did, didn't you?"

"It was only her hand," Jim, desperately explaining. "I've got to pay
her some attention, under the circumstances. And I give you my word, I
was thinking of you when I did it." THE WRETCH!

Aunt Selina drew her breath in suddenly.

"I am thinking of marrying Reggie Wolfe." This was Bella, of course. "He
wants me to. He's a dear boy."

"If you do, I will kill him."

"I am so very lonely," Bella sighed. We could hear the creak of Jim's
shirt bosom that showed that he had sighed also. Aunt Selina had