s always crazy on the
subject. At least when she could spare time from her butterflies."

"Yet she does not strike me as being particularly on that order,"
remarked the scientist musingly. "How came you to take it up, Beatrice?"

"Why, you wrote Aunt Annie that you wished me to," answered Bee as
though that were sufficient reason.

"I believe that Bee would learn Hottentot if she thought it would please
you, Uncle William," added Adele graciously. She was well pleased that
Bee had welcomed her so cordially. "Now, papa is a lawyer, but I don't
know a thing about law. I couldn't tell an appeal from a--from a--What
do I want to say, Bee?"

"From a writ of habeas corpus," suggested Bee.

"Have you studied law also, Beatrice?" queried her father, glancing from
the beautiful face of his niece to the animated one of his daughter.

"No, father. I have heard Uncle Henry talking about his cases, and
picked up a few terms. I don't care for law as I do for science."

"What have you been doing to your hair, Bee?" broke in Adele, suddenly.
"I knew there was something odd about you, but I couldn't tell what it
was until this minute."

Bee's face flushed, but she answered good-naturedly:

"I struck for gold, Adele, but it didn't pan out the pure article."

"I didn't know that you cared about such things," observed Adele with an
involuntary touch to her own golden locks. "You always seemed superior
to such things. It would not look so bad if you would keep it touched
up. It's being so dark at the roots and yellow the rest of the way is
what makes it look queer. Why don't you have it bleached again?"

"Because it's silly," answered Beatrice tersely. "I was foolish to do it
in the first place, and now I shall wear it just as it is until it is
long enough to cut off all that horrid bleached part. It is a good
punishment for me."

"Several of the girls do it, but it does seem strange for you to do such
a thing. Aren't you most finished? I am dying to get to that piano. I
want to play for Uncle William."

"I am quite through," said Bee with a quick glance in her father's
direction, "and so is father. We will go into the parlor now."

With stately, old-fashioned courtesy Doctor Raymond rose and opened the
door for them. Engrossed in his own meditations the scientist had not
paid much attention to the chatter of the girls. Had it been otherwise
he might have absorbed a few facts concerning the species girl that
would have enlig