[Illustration: LADY PRESIDENT]

Probably they preferred to go back in the Front Room and hear some more
about Woman's Destiny not.

As soon as they could master their Emotions and get control of their
Voices, they told Josephine what they thought of her. They said she made
the Good Samaritan look like a Cheap Criminal, and if she would only say
the Word they would begin to put Ground Glass into the Food at Home.
Then Josephine called them "Boys," which probably does not make a Hit
with one who is on the sloping side of 48. More of the Men seemed to
awake to the Fact that they were Overlooking something, so they came on
the Velvet Foot back to the Dining Room and declared themselves In, and
flocked around Josephine and called her "Josie" and "Joe." They didn't
care. They were having a Pleasant Visit.

Josephine gave them Allopathic Slugs of the Size that they feed you in
the Navy and then lower you into the Dingey and send you Ashore. Then
she let them go out on the Porch to smoke. By the time the Lady
President came to the last Page there were only two Men left in the
Front Room. One was Asleep and the other was Penned In.

The Women were Huffy. They went out to make the Men come in, and found
them Bunched on the Porch listening to a Story that a Traveling Man had
just brought to Town that Day.

Now the Plan was that during the Reception the Company would stand about
in little Groups, and ask each other what Books they liked, and make it
something on the order of a Salon. This Plan miscarried, because all the