I expect my ears did a reg'lar rabbit motion at that. So this was the
one? Well, I'd got to have a look at her!

"Eh?" says I. "Did you say Natalie?"

"Aunt Nutty's a better fit, though," says Tessie.

"Ah, come!" says I. "She don't write so batty. And anybody who can
notice the difference between fourteen per cent. dividends and three
and a half ain't so far gone."

"Oh, you never could work off any wooden money on her," admits Tessie.
"Her grip on a dollar is sump'n fierce; that is, until it comes to
settin' the stage for one of her third Wednesdays."

"Her which?" says I.

"If it was anything I could cover up," says Tessie, "you bet I'd deny
it. But anybody on the block could put you wise. So, if you must
know, every third Wednesday Aunt Nutty goes through the motions of
pullin' off a pink tea. Uh-huh! It's all complete: the big silver urn
polished up and steaming sandwiches and cakes made, flowers about, us
all dolled up--and nobody to it! Oh, it's a scream!"

"But don't anyone come?" says I.

"Hardly," says Tessie, "unless you count Mrs. Fizzenmeyer, the
delicatessen lady; or Madame Tebeau, the little hairdresser; or the
Schmitt girls, from the corner bakery. They pretend to take Auntie
almost as serious as she takes herself. Lately, though, even that