d when Max told a story without any point whatever, they all had hysteria. Immediately after dinner Aunt Selina had begun on the family connection aga

mmer and grimmer. In the studio they came across a life study Jim was doing and she shut her eyes and made the girls go out while he

the studio for cigarettes, which left Mr. Harbison to me. I was in the den, sit

ay I come in?" he asked. "Don't min

" I said unpleasantly, "but at least

out the faded hues of the old Japanese prints on the walls, gleaming in the mother-of-pearl eyes of the dragon on the screen, setting a

he showed no sign of breaking the silence. "The-the illness of

d with a start fr

wondering if I-if you were offended at what I said earlier

" I repeat

but Indian squaws"-so there were no Spanish girls!-"that I'm afraid I say what com

e a woman is married-I mean, you can not say too many

be satisfied with the nice things their husbands say to them. But he merely remarked apropos of nothing, or following a li

heir success in life," I retorted cyn

en. When she saw us she stopped uncertainly. Even then it struck me that she looked odd, and she was not in uniform. However, I was not informed at that time about bach

ere is a lady in the drawing room, a veile

asked. "He is in the house

rl hes

miss, but Mi

aw the s

the door into the drawing roo

Bella in a fur coat and a veil, with the most tragic eyes I ever saw and entirely white except for a dab of rouge in the middle of each cheek.

t ambulance?" she demanded, glaring

ng away from her fingers. "What in the world ar

om me!" she accused. "It is

e to manage your own affairs, without dragging me in." It was not pleasant, but if she was su

, and held on while

ain. "I do not want to see him: I hope you don't think, Kit, that I came here to se

ng nervous. What if Aunt Selina should com

hen, Bella?" I inqui

gain. "I thought Jim was out of town, and I came to see Takahiro," she said brazenly. "He was devoted to me, and Evans is going to leave

rotested. "It's imm

y. "You're not usually so scrupulous, Ki

e hall, and I rang for T

waited, and Bella was staring around the room-"I th

ugged her

e her. The only pleasant thing I remember about my ye

the stillness below stairs was almost oppressive. Bella was noticing things

bserved, "was that HE could manage this house, and had done

for a response. Bella was growing impatient. She raised her eyebrows (she is very handso

ants and full of dishes, and all the lights were out but one, which was burning dimly. I could have sworn that I saw one of the serva

and was peering over

o the kitchen, she seemed to be right. It was in disgraceful order, and one of the b

ait to voice my suspicion to her; I simply left her there, staring helplessly at the confusion, and ran upstairs again: through the dining room, past Jimmy and Aunt Selina, past Leila Mercer and Max, who were flirting on the stairs, up, up to the servants'

ess of the servants' wing, I met Mr

n," he said gravely. "You are not well, and I can't think of anything wors

wouldn't be running around-like this-but there is not a

said slowly. "Gon

," I said tragically, "rooms empty, kitchen and pantries

of explanation, and ran down the stairs. I stood staring after him, wondering if every one in the place had gone crazy. The

Jap been ailing, Mr

lied helplessly. "What

e servants away. As Mr. Brown said, he looked spotty. I suggested to your husb

n. "I'll go and get my-" Then I stopped. Why, the man wouldn't expec

f," I finished lamely, and we

. Downstairs Max was telephoning for his car, which wasn't due for an hour, and Jim was walking up and down, swearing under his breath. With the prospect of getting rid of them all, a

threw open t

nailing something to the door, just below Jim's Florentine bronze knocke

ut the man only drove another tack. It was Mr.

d "Sma

if he couldn't believe it. Then he

into Mr. Reed's automobile out there, and have a vaccination party. I supp

at his tacks in his hand a

life. Just step back, please, and clo