ity? But I
shall not be alone. I was thinking this very morning of Fanny Ransmore
and her mother. I want some women guests this time, and they would be
delightful after Mr. Rounders. Fanny is as lively as a cricket, and
Mrs. Ransmore could take care of anybody. You can tell Baxter to have
some one to patrol the grounds at night, and we shall get along
beautifully. I am sure you will not be away long.'

"'But can you get the Ransmores?' I asked.

"'Certainly,' said she. 'They are at Newport now; but I will telegraph
immediately, and they can start to-night and get here to-morrow
afternoon. You need not be afraid they cannot come. They would give up
any engagement on earth to be our only guests.'

"The matter was settled according to Anita's plan, and I was more
willing to go to New York when I reflected that after the Ransmores came
Anita would not be able to read aloud to me."

"At this point," said the Master of the House, "your hero makes me
angry. Why should he think he could not go away and leave his wife for
three days, when I leave my wife, and daughter too, for three years? His
Anita is not worth one twentieth as much as either my wife or daughter.
Then again, if I were in his place, I would not allow a disadvantageous
half-million to take me away from you two. It is only the absolutely
necessary thousands that make me leave you as I do."

"Your sentiments are just as nice as they can be, papa," said the
Daughter of the House; "but don't you see if the gentleman did what you
would do it would spoil the story?"

John Gayther smiled with pleasure. Here was a young lady who never
forgot the principle of the thing, whatever the thing might be.

"That is true!" exclaimed the captain, stretching himself at full length
in his chair. "I did not think of that. Madam, please proceed; let the
King of Siam recommence his performances."

"I will merely remark," said the Mistress of the House, "that if the
King of Siam undertook to emulate my hero in all his performances, it
would be a pretty hard thing for his already overtaxed subjects.

"The Ransmores arrived on time, and were as delighted with the
invitation as Anita had said they would be. According to her orders,
neither of them brought a maid, which must have been pretty hard on the
old lady; but they declared that the fun of waiting on themselves would
be greater than anything Newport could possibly offer them.

"I went to New York, attended to my business,