rsonalizing
about it! Dinky-Dunk appears rather in a world by himself. Only once, so
far, has he seemed to step back to our every-day old world. That was
when he wandered into the Blue Room in the East Wing where little Dinkie
has been sleeping. I was seated beside his little lordship's bed
singing:

"The little pigs sleep with their tails curled up,"

and when that had been exhausted, rambling on to

"The sailor being both tall and slim,
The lady fell in love with him,"

when _pater familias_ wandered in and inquired, "Whyfore the cabaret?"

I explained that Dinkie, since coming south, had seemed to demand an
even-song or two before slipping off.

"I see that I'll have to take our son in hand," announced
Dinky-Dunk--but there was just the shadow of a smile about his lips as
he went slowly out and closed the door after him.

To-night, when I told Dinky-Dunk that Peter would in all likelihood be
here to-morrow, he listened without batting an eyelash. But he asked
if I'd mind handing him a cigarette, and he studied my face long and
intently. I don't know what he saw there, or what he concluded, for I
did my best to keep it as noncommittal as possible. If there is any
move, it must be from him. That sour-inked Irishman called Shaw has
said that women are the wooers in this world. A lot he knows about
it!... Yet something has happened, in the last half-hour, which both
disturbs and puzzles me. When I was unpacking Dinky-Dunk's second
trunk, which had stood neglected for almost four long days, I came
across the letter which I thought I'd put away in the back of the
ranch ledger and had failed to find.... And he had it, all the time!

The redoubtable Struthers, it must be recorded, to-day handed me
another paper, and almost as triumphantly as the first one. She'd
picked it up on her way home from the druggist's, where she went for
aspirin for Dinky-Dunk. On what was labeled its "Woman's Page" was yet
another photographic reproduction of the fair Lady Allie in aviation
togs and a head-line which read: "Insists On Tea Above The Clouds."
But I plainly disappointed the expectant Struthers by promptly handing
the paper back to her and by declining to make any comment.

_Thursday the Thirty-first_

Peter walked in on us to-day, a little less spick and span, I'm
compelled to admit, than I had expected of one in his position, but as
easy and unconcerned