do you do? But you see I must get up to town to-night--in this door? I
can see perfectly, thank you!--and I did want a little talk with you
first. Now, what a shame!"--for the gas, lighted by Theodore at this
point, revealed Duncan's bib, and the napkins some of the others were
still carrying. "I've interrupted your dinner! Won't you let me wait
here until--"

"Perhaps--if you haven't had your supper--you will have some with us,"
said Mrs. Paget, a little uncertainly. Margaret inwardly shuddered,
but Mrs. Carr-Boldt was gracious.

"Mrs. Paget, that's charming of you," she said. "But I had tea at
Dayton, and mustn't lose another moment. I shan't dine until I get
home. I'm the busiest woman in the world, you know. Now, it won't take
me two minutes--"

She was seated now, her hands still deep in her muff, for the parlor
was freezing cold. Mrs. Paget, with a rather bewildered look, sat
down, too.

"You can run back to your dinners," said she to the children. "Take
them, Julie. Mark, dear, will you help the pudding?" They all filed
dutifully out of the room, and Margaret, excited and curious,
continued a meal that might have been of sawdust and sand for all she
knew. The strain did not last long; in about ten minutes Mrs. Paget
looked into the room, with a rather worried expression, and said, a
little breathlessly:--

"Daddy, can you come here a moment?--You're all right, dear," she
added, as Mr. Paget indicated with an embarrassed gesture his well