meet friends from Chicago--but that was the same night that the
Roses and Joe Underhill were going in to see the new musical
comedy--

"This is Bert--" a voice at Nancy's telephone would say, in the
middle of a sweet October morning, "Nance...Tom Ingram picked me
up, and brought me in...and he was saying that Mrs. Ingram has to
come into town this afternoon...and that, since you do, why don't
you have Pierre bring you both in in the car, and meet us after
your shopping, and have a little dinner somewhere and take in a
show? You can let Pierre go back, do you see? ... and the Ingrams
will bring us back in their car. Now, can you get hold of Mrs.
Ingram, and fix it up, and telephone me later? ..."

Nancy's first thought, so strong is habit, might be that she had
just secured ducks for dinner, Bert's favourite dinner, and that
she had promised Anne to take her with her brothers to see the big
cows and prize sheep at the Mineola Fair. But that could wait, and
if Anne and the boys were promised a little party, and ice cream--
and if Pauline had no dinner to get she would readily make the ice
cream--

"Ingram is here... he wants to know what you think..." Bert's
impatient voice might say. And Nancy felt that she had no choice
but to respond:

"That will be lovely, Bert! I'll get hold of Mrs. Ingram right
away. And I'll positively telephone you in fifteen minutes."

The rest of the day would be rush and excitement, Nancy felt that