me, because
you can't! Any one can dress well who spends all he makes on clothes!
But how much money have you got salted away in the bank? Tell me that,
now!"

She had to shake hands with him, but when he stooped down to kiss her,
she jerked away and glared at him like an angry little cat.

"Why, Rosie!" Mrs. O'Brien exclaimed in shocked tones, "is that the way
you treat a family friend like Mr. Harry?"

"Family friend!" stormed Rosie; "I've never laid eyes on him before and
neither have you!"

Mrs. O'Brien's embarrassment deepened. "Rosie, I'm ashamed of you! Is
that the way for you to be treatin' a gentleman who's taking supper with
us? I tell you frankly I'm ashamed of you!"

Jamie O'Brien cleared his throat. "See here, Maggie, Rosie's perfectly
right. There's no call for her to be kissing a stranger. She's too big a
girl for that."

Mrs. O'Brien looked at her husband blankly. "Jamie O'Brien, how you
talk! Do you think it's becoming to call a man a stranger who's sitting
down with you at your own table?"

Jamie turned to his guest politely. "I'm sure, Mr. Long, I don't know
what all this noise is about. I'm like Rosie here. I've never seen you
before to me knowledge. But that's neither here nor there. You're here
now and you're welcome, and I hope we'll be friends. So let us drop the
argument and sit down."

It was an awkward beginning, but Jamie refused to be embarrassed and,
after a moment of silence, the others tried hard to follow his example.

Harry was evidently bent on pleasing.

"Ever been in St. Louis, Mr. O'Brien?" He spoke with a proprietorial air
as one might of a household pet, pronouncing the name of his city Louie.
"Fine place, St. Louie!"

"For meself," Jamie answered unexpectedly, "I never much cared for it.
It's a hot hole!"

Ellen flushed. "Why, Dad!"

Jamie looked up impatiently. "What's the matter now?"

"Dad, don't you know that St. Louie is where Harry lives?"

"I do not!" Jamie answered truthfully. "And, if you ask me, Ellen, I
don't see why I should."

"Jamie O'Brien!" Mrs. O'Brien gasped, "what's come over you? I haven't
heard you talk so much at table in ten years!" She turned to her guest.
"Would you believe me, Harry, there are weeks on end when I never get a
word out of him! Sometimes I think I'll forget how to talk meself for
lack of some one to exchange a word with! And to think," she concluded,
"that Jamie's been in St. Louie! I give you me word of honour I never