out the candles on my birthday cake.

After the wine got to flowing freely and the crowd all jolly Alla would
drag out the prop and make a nice little speech on behalf of the
company.

Me--you know I would be that flustered that I didn't know what to do,
and when Alla would say that other people beside the members of the
company had assisted I would be so gratified that I could scarce keep
back the tears.

All the clucks that hadn't chipped in would feel so bad because they
weren't included in my outburst of gratitude that nine times out of ten
they would sneak out and try to break into a jewelry store.

Then Saturday Alla and I would do the great divide.

Take it from me, when I came in off the road that season I had a roll of
the evergreen that looked like a bundle of hall carpet.

But now that I am an heiress I do not have to adopt those subterfuges in
order to get the daily Java. But I couldn't work those stunts on my
Wilbur; he's too wise, and being in the business he's hep to all that
kind of work.

He's a good, nice, honest fellow, as press agents go, and I think I can
safely trust him with my innocent heart.

If he don't--well, you know me. If he don't think he run up against the
business end of a cyclone it will be because I got throat trouble and