dence, Peter refused to be monopolized by Eileen. He climbed the two
flights of stairs with Henry Anderson and Linda and exhausted his fund
of suggestions as to what could be done to that empty billiard room
to make an attractive study of it. Linda listened quietly to all their
suggestions, and then she said:

"It would be fine to have another window, and a small skylight would be
a dream, and as for the fireplace you mention, I can't even conceive how
great it would be to have that; but my purse is much more limited than
Peter's, and while I have my school work to do every day, my earning
capacity is nearly negligible. I can only pick up a bit here and there
with my brush and pencil--place cards and Easter cards and valentines,
and once or twice magazine covers, and little things like that. I don't
see my way clear to lumber and glass and bricks and chimney pieces."

Peter looked at Henry, and Henry looked at Peter, and a male high sign,
ancient as day, passed between them.

"Easiest thing in the world," said Peter. "It's as sure as shooting that
when my three or four fireplaces, which Henry's present plans call for,
are built, there is going to be all the material left that can be used
in a light tiny fireplace such as could be built on a third floor, and
when the figuring for the house is done it could very easily include the
cutting of a skylight and an extra window or two here, and getting the
material in with my stuff, it would cost you almost nothing."

Linda's eyes opened wide and dewy with surprise and pleasure.

"Why, you two perfectly nice men!" she said. "I haven't felt as I do
this minute since I lost Daddy. It's wonderful to be taken care of. It's
better than cream puffs with almond flavoring."

Henry Anderson looked at Linda keenly.

"You're the darndest kid!" he said. "One minute you're smacking your
lips over cream puffs, and the next you're going to the bottom of the
yellow peril. I never before saw your combination in one girl. What's
the explanation?" For the second time that evening Linda's specialty in
rapture floated free.

"Bunch all the component parts into the one paramount fact that I am
Saturday's child," she said, "so I am constantly on the job of working
for a living, and then add to that the fact that I was reared by a nerve
specialist."

Then they went downstairs, and the men refused both Eileen's and Linda's
invitation to remain for dinner. When they had gone Eileen turned to
L