house briskly, felt so sure of herself
that the day's good work seemed half accomplished already.

She had adjusted the skirt of the pongee suit, and pinned the hydrangea
hat at a fascinating angle when the telephone rang.

Susanna slipped her bare arms into the stiff sleeves of a Mandarin coat
and crossed the hall to the instrument.

"Hello, Susanna!" said the cheerful voice of young Mrs. Harrington, a
neighbor and friend, at the other end of the telephone. "I just rang up
to know if I could come over early and help you out with anything and
whether--"

"Help me out with anything?" Mrs. Fairfax's voice ranged through
delicate shades of surprise to dawning consternation. "Help me out with
what?"

"Why, you told me yourself that this was the day of the bridge-club
lunch at your house!" Mrs. Harrington said, almost indignantly. But
immediately she became mirthful. "Oh, Susanna, Susanna! You haven't
forgotten--oh, you HAVE! Oh, you poor girl, what will you do! Listen, I
could bring a--"

"Oh, my goodness, Ethel--and I've got to go to town!" Susanna's tone
was hushed with a sort of horror. "And those seven women will be here
at half-past twelve! And not ONE thing in the house--"

"Oh, you could get Ludovici as far as the lunch goes, Sue. But the
girls will think it's odd, perhaps. Couldn't you wait and take the one
o'clock?"

"Yes, I'll get Ludovici," Susanna decided hastily. "No, I couldn't do
that. But I'll tell you what I COULD do. If you'll be an angel, Ethel,
and do the honors until I get here, I could lunch early, get through my
business in town, and get the one-fifty train for home--"

"Well, that'll be all right. I'll explain," said the amiable Mrs.
Harrington.

A few minutes later Mrs. Fairfax left the telephone and went down to
the kitchen to explain to Emma and Veronica, the maids, that there
would be a luncheon for eight ladies served by a caterer, in her home,
that day, and that they must simply assist him. She herself must be in
town unfortunately, but Mrs. Harrington had very kindly offered to come
over and be hostess and play the eighth hand of bridge afterward. Emma
and Veronica, perhaps more hardened to these emergencies than are
ordinary maids, rose to the occasion, and Susanna hurried off to her
train satisfied that as far as the actual luncheon was concerned, all
would go well. But what the seven women would think was another story!

"I don't suppose Mrs. Thayer wants to do so very much sh