rway panting breathlessly
for a moment, while Fairy and her aunt, withdrawn thus rudely from
dreamland, looked at them interrogatively.

"Yes, I think so, too," began Fairy, and the twins endeavored to crush
her with their lofty scorn. But it is not easy to express lofty scorn
when one is red in the face, perspirey and short of breath. So the twins
decided of necessity to overlook the offense just this once.

Finally, recovering their vocal powers simultaneously, they cried in
unison:

"Duckie!"

"Duck! In the yard! Do you mean a live one? Where did it come from?"
ejaculated their aunt.

"They mean Professor Duck of their freshman year," explained Fairy
complacently. "It's nothing. The twins always make a fuss over him. They
feel grateful to him for showing them through freshman science--that's
all."

"That's all," gasped Carol. "Why, Fairy Starr, do you know he's employed
by the--Society of--a--a Scientific Research Organization--or
something--in New York City, and gets four thousand dollars a year and
has prospects--all kinds of prospects!"

"Yes, I know it. You haven't seen him, auntie. He's tall, and has
wrinkles around his eyes, and a dictatorial nose, and steel gray eyes.
He calls the twins song-birds, and they're so flattered they adore him.
He sends them candy for Christmas. You know that Duckie they rave so
much about. It's the very man. Is he here?"

The twins stared at each other in blank exasperation for a full minute.
They knew that Fairy didn't deserve to hear their news, but at the same
time they did not deserve such bitter punishment as having to refrain
from talking about it,--so they swallowed again, sadly, and ignored her.

"He's in town," said Lark.

"Going to stay a week," added Carol.

"And he said he wanted to have lots of good times with us, and
so--we--why, of course it was very sudden, and we didn't have time to
ask--"

"But parsonage doors are always open--"

"And I don't know how he ever wormed it out of us, but--one of us--"

"I can't remember which one!"

"Invited him to come for dinner to-night, and he's coming."

"Goodness," said Aunt Grace. "We were going to have potato soup and
toast."

"It'll keep," said Carol. "Of course we're sorry to inconvenience you at
this late hour, but Larkie and I will tell Connie what to do, so you
won't have much bother. Let's see, now, we must think up a pretty fair
meal. Four thousand a year--and prospects!"

Aunt Grace turned ques