he said, "Why, of course,
I'll come right out."

The Judge-elect turned gracefully around, smiling complacently: "Well,
Violet--it's your bet. It's a girl!"

The court stenographer poked a teasing forefinger at him and whittled it
with another in glee. Then, as if remembering something, she asked:
"How's your wife?"

Van Dorn's face was blank for an instant. "By George--that's so. I
forgot to ask." He started to pick up the telephone receiver, but
checked himself. He pulled his broad-brimmed hat over his eyes, and
started for the door, waving merrily and rubbing his chin with his
flower.

"Ta ta," he called as he saw the last of her flashing smile through the
closing door.

And thus into a world where only the fittest survive that day came Lila
Van Dorn,--the child of a mother's love.

CHAPTER XV

WHEREIN WE WELCOME IN A NEW YEAR AND CONSIDER A SERIOUS QUESTION

The journey around the sun is a long and tumultuous one. Many of us jolt
off the earth as we ride, others of us are turned over and thrown into
strange and absurd positions, and a few of us sit tight and edge along,
a little further toward the soft seats. But as we whirl by the stations,
returning ever and again to the days that are precious in our lives, to
the seasons that give us greatest joy, we measure our gains, on the long
journey, in terms of what we love. "A little over a year ago to-night,
my dear," chirruped Dr. Nesbit, pulling a gray hair from his temple
where hairs of any kind were becoming scarce enough. "A year, a month,
and a week and a day ago to-night the town and the Harvey brass band
came out here and they tramped up the blue grass so that it won't get
back in a dozen years.

"Well," he mused, as the fire burned, "I got 'em all their jobs, I got
two or three good medical laws passed, and I hope I have made some
people happy."

"Yes, my dear," answered his wife. "In that year little Lila has come
into short dresses, and Kenyon Adams has learned to play on the piano,
and is taking up the violin."

"How time has flown since election a year ago," said Captain Morton to
his assembled family as they sat around the base burner smoldering in
the dining-room. "And I've put the patent window fastener into forty
houses and sold Henry Fenn the burglar alarm to go with his." And the
eldest Miss Morton spoke up and said:

"My good land, I hope we'll have a new principal by this time next year.
Another year under that man will kill