over-charge she had paid in foreign hotels, and after that she
was as harmless as a dove.

Then half way through the dinner we heard a crash in Takahiro's
pantry, and when he did not appear again, Jim got up and went out
to investigate. He was gone quite a little while, and when he
came back he looked worried.

"Sick," he replied to our inquiring glances. "One of the maids
will come in. They have sent for a doctor."

Aunt Selina was for going out at once and "fixing him up," as she
put it, but Dallas gently interfered.

"I wouldn't, Miss Caruthers," he said, in the deferential manner
he had adopted toward her. "You don't know what it may be. He's
been looking spotty all evening."

"It might be scarlet fever," Max broke in cheerfully. "I say,
scarlet fever on a Mongolian--what color would he be, Jimmy? What
do yellow and red make? Green?"

"Orange," Jim said shortly. "I wish you people would remember
that we are trying to eat."

The fact was, however, that no one was really eating, except Mr.
Harbison who had given up trying to understand us, considering,
no doubt, our subdued excitement as our normal condition. Ages
afterward I learned that he thought my face almost tragic that
night, and that he supposed from the way I glared across the