The Story Book Girls

Pa

was laid in the morning-room, and Mr. Leighton said throughout that roystering meal that never again, no

ed. Mabel and Jean lately had already in quite a practical manner begun to wonder whom Mabel would be obliged to marry. Jean was getting very t

look sharp," she declared;

en. But viewed from that age, even a girl of twenty-one is sometimes vot

or Mabel, only, as Jean complained, "George Maclean is a gentleman and all that kind of thing, but he has no prospects." So they rather disposed of George Maclean, for immediate

ort of way, and darted very quick glances at people when addressing them. He came in with the Gardiners, and after shaking hands with M

last crystallized, concrete. It is all very well to dream, but it is

evening in a dignified way with music. Every one either sang or played. Jean in her usual hearty fashion dashed throu

e whispered to him, "Whenever I lift my heels o

Dr. Harry with the immobile

sire to follow out Dr. Harry's instructions pla

, Elma!" said May T

g in her heart when she was happy, the minor things when she was sad! All she could do when people were collected to stare at her was to play the Boccherini Minuet exceedingly badly. The weight of "evenings" had begun al

the drawing-room. Mabel received him as she received a Sonata by Beethoven. With fleet fingers she could read the one as though she had practised it all her life; with dainty manners she seemed to comprehend Mr. Meredith from the start, as though she had been accustomed to refusing and accepting desirable husbands from time immemoria

ghton presided and encouraged young girls with no musical talents whatever to play and sing, passed with a certain amount of lightness. Before an interlude of charades, a strange girl was shown in. She giggled behind a

ty broke out with the remark, "You might ha

not prevent the intellectual part of the evening from falling to bits. They had no more real music

red Jean to Mabel. "Yet we've everything--sandwiches, cake,

said Mabel, who was in a seve

e to Mabel, who sat in an elderly way and poured coffee. The salad was magnificent. Aunt Katharine had come in "to look on." Mrs. Leighton told her how Mabel had arranged forty-two plate

s with red water lilies," said Mrs. Leighton. "It was

Katharine. "You spoil the

Leighton," s

suitable thing for young people's pa

in pink was handed solemnly round. Every p

t, how lovely," when t

opped at the

ated her own piece, "I notice that your father has none of

ton waved

eat walnut

ghton we

your idea of a party," she said.

nobody can. It's only Mab

t gingerbread," said the

ion with a large battered-looking

ertized first," she complained

stal of perfection. Even mummy, who had been so much on her own high horse at all their successes, now became quite feelingly sorry about the cake. She gave directions for having the loose pieces collected and surreptitiously put out of

, "you must have a slice of my cake. I baked it mysel

said Mr.

ut to taste her own cake and give a large slice to Mr. Meredith. They made little airy remarks to one another in order to keep the conversation going, so that Mabel might not detect by some sudden pause that every one was watching her. One heard Julia Gardiner say in

ece, and insisted besides on serving him with an unwieldy lump of pink icin

and Betty exploded into a lo

id Mabel, amiably laughing. She

dith bit

ause while they waited

essly handing trifle and fruit salad. Mr.

a great friend, he was one of your ye

was gone and Mr. Meredith wa

and next was plunged politely in reminisce

quite happily at the

roached h

a large cup of coffee for the ostrich

u mean, Lance?" ask

you see he has

-stricken. Her own slic

-stoney, isn't it?"

fic," said

moment, so crushed that even La

edith can do that much for you without a shudd

man till he has been tried." It made her smile to think that already they might

e, quite forgetting that she had skimmed that quantity in

onspirator, commenting on the appearance of "the ostrich." He approached Cuthbert, asking him in an anxious manner how long the signs of rapid poiso

r with her dearest

dreamed silly dreams about far-away things, and was despised for this accordingly by the robust Jean, did

ey could almost count the plates for the different courses in their desire to know

fter all, Mabel had only inspired the chicken sala

. Meredith," she sighed dismally, "if onl

ge amount of trifle, pr

d Lance mor

be learned in chemistry is that one smell does not kill another. It is a popula

Cuthbert with his h

g Meredith may be saying things about your sisters which

versation, Aunt Katharine's tr

iling you as she always does. In my young days we weren't allowed to be extravagant and experiment in cooking whenever a party occurred.

s usually aroused. The wind-up to this tirade alarmed her however. She would have to tell them all, with M

owever, the whole loyal regiment

exclaimed. Mabel could even hear

ust tell you

peared at t

ed for dancing," sa

partisanship, disturbed Jean considerably. Mr. Meredith, on giving his arm to Mabel for the first dance, wa

round to the first waltz as though she had n

heir generosity, but

may stand on our heads now if we like, but if anything disting