rjorie, summer before last? Baby Dimple! After a golf ball, you
know. That's a sample of Sukey's tongue."

Mr. Robert shrugs his shoulders. "Quite her own affair, I suppose," says
he.

"Oh, she didn't mind," says Nutt. "Everyone stands for Sukey--on account
of his music. Only he is such a conceited, snobbish little whelp that
it makes you ache to cuff him. Couldn't, of course. Why, he'll begin
sniveling if you look cross at him! But it would be great sport to----
Say, Bob, who's going to be there--anyone special?"

"Only the family," says Mr. Robert, "and a few of Marjorie's friends,
such as Verona Hemmingway and--er--Torchy here, and Josephine Billings,
who's just come for the week-end."

"What!" says Hamilton. "Joey Billings? Say, she's a good sort, Joey;
bully fun, and always in for anything. You ought to see her shoot! Yes,
Sir! Bring down quail with a choke-bore, or knock over a buck deer with
a rifle. Plays billiards like a wizard, Joey does, and can swat a golf
ball off the tee for two hundred yards. She's a star. Staying at
Ferdie's, eh? Must be a great combination, she and Sukey. I'd like to
see 'em together. Say, old man, let me in on this musicfest if you can,
will you?"

Course there wa'n't much left for Mr. Robert to do but promise, and
while he don't do it with any great enthusiasm, Mr. Hamilton don't seem
a bit discouraged. In fact, just before he goes he has a chucklin' fit
like he'd been struck by some amazin' comic thought.

"I have it, Bob!" says he, poundin' Mr. Robert on the back. "I have
it!"

"Anything you're likely to recover from?" remarks Mr. Robert.

"Never mind," says Nutt. "You wait and see! And the first chance you get
ask Sukey if he's afraid of bears."

Just to finish off the afternoon too, and make the Corrugated gen'ral
offices seem more like a fam'ly meetin' place, about four o'clock in
blows Sister Marjorie from the shoppin' district, trailin' a friend with
her; a stranger too. First off, from a hasty glimpse at the hard-boiled
lid and the man's collar and the loose-fittin' top coat, I thought it
was some chappy. So it's more or less of a shock when I discovers the
short skirt and the high walkin' boots below. Then I tumbled. It's Joey,
the real sport!

Believe me, she looked the part! One of these female good fellows, you
know, ready to roll her own dope sticks, or sit in with the boys and
draw three to a pair. Built substantial and heavy, Joey was, but not
lumpy, like M