d knowledge and
information to tell what most of us do not want to hear."

Selwyn's eyes again for a moment held mine, and in my face I felt hot
color creeping. Never before had he defended, even with satire, what
he had told me a hundred times was folly on my part. He turned to Mr.
Garrott.

"Why on earth perfectly comfortable, supposedly Christian human beings
should want personally to know anything about uncomfortable, unfit,
under-paid ones--"

"Oh, but I think they ought to!" Again the pretty little creature in
green chiffon nodded toward me. "But you won't let Miss Heath have a
chance to say anything! Some one told me such queer people came to see
her. Factory-girls and working-women and--oh--all sorts of people like
that. Is it really so, Miss Heath?"

"Very interesting people come to see me. They are undoubtedly of
different sorts, but one of the illuminating discoveries of life is
that human beings are amazingly alike. Veneering is a great help, of
course. If you knew my friends you would find--"

"I'd love to know them. I always have liked queer people. I've been
crazy to come and see you, but mother won't let-- I mean--"

"Mrs. Henderson says she met a young man when she went to see you who
was the cleverest person she ever talked, to." Gentle Annie Gaines was
venturing to come to my help. "He seemed to know something of
everything. She couldn't remember his name."

"It's difficult to remember. He's a Russian Jew. Schrioski, is his
name." At the head of the table I felt Kitty squirm, knew she was
twisting her feet in fear and indignation. I turned to her English
guest.

"I have another friend who will be so glad to know I have met you, Mr.
Garrott. He is one of your most intelligent and intense admirers. He
has read, I think, everything you've written."

Absorbed in his salad, evidently new and to his liking, Mr. Garrott was
not impressed by, or appreciative of, my attempt to follow Kitty's
instructions. With any reservations of my bad taste in talking shop I
would have agreed, still, something was due Kitty. "He tells me"--I
refused to be ignored--"that he keeps an advance order for everything
you write; buys your books as soon as they are published."

"Buys them!" With the only quick movement he had made, Mr. Garrott
turned to me. "I'd like to meet him. I'm glad to know there's
somebody in America who buys and reads my books. Usually those who buy
don't read, and tho