she's come back from abroad," Jimmie muttered without
looking at her.

"Eleanor's taken the job over now," Peter said. "She's made him swear
off red ink and red neckties."

"Any color so long's it's red is the color that suits me best," Jimmie
quoted. "Lord, isn't this room a pippin?" He swam in among the bright
pillows of the divan and so hid his face for a moment. It had been a
good many weeks since he had seen Gertrude.

"I want to give a suffrage tea here," Beulah broke in suddenly. "It's
so central, but I don't suppose David would hear of it."

"Angels and Ministers of Grace defend us--" Peter began.

"My _mother_ would hear of it," David said, "and then there wouldn't
be any little studio any more. She doesn't believe in votes for
women."

"How any woman in this day and age--" Beulah began, and thought better
of it, since she was discussing Mrs. Bolling.

"Makes your blood boil, doesn't it--Beulahland?" Gertrude suggested
helpfully, reaching for the tea cakes. "Never mind, I'll vote for
women. I'll march in your old peerade."

"The Lord helps those that help themselves," Peter said, "that's why
Gertrude is a suffragist. She believes in helping herself, in every
sense, don't you, 'Trude?"

"Not quite in every sense," Gertrude said gravely. "Sometimes I feel
like that girl that Margaret describes as caught in a horrid way
between two generations. I'm neither old-fashioned nor modern."

"I'd rather be that way than early Victorian," Margaret sighed.

"Speaking of the latest generation, has anybody any objection to
having our child here for the holidays?" David asked. "My idea is to
have one grand Christmas dinner. I suppose we'll all have to eat one
meal with our respective families, but can't we manage to get together
here for dinner at night? Don't you think that we could?"

"We can't, but we will," Margaret murmured. "Of course, have Eleanor
here. I wanted her with me but the family thought otherwise. They've
been trying to send me away for my health, David."

"Well, they shan't. You'll stay in New York for your health and come
to my party."

"Margaret's health is merely a matter of Margaret's happiness anyhow.
Her soul and her body are all one," Gertrude said.

"Then cursed be he who brings anything but happiness to Margaret,"
Peter said, to which sentiment David added a solemn "Amen."

"I wish you wouldn't," Margaret said, shivering a little, "I feel as
if some one were--were--"

"Trampling