Joe and Kit were respectively eighteen and sixteen at the time when the
preparations for Maurice Oakley's farewell dinner to his brother Francis
were agitating the whole Hamilton household. All of them had a hand in
the work: Joe had shaved the two men; Kit had helped Mrs. Oakley's maid;
the mother had fretted herself weak over the shortcomings of a cook that
had been in the family nearly as long as herself, while Berry was stern
and dignified in anticipation of the glorious figure he was to make in
serving.

When all was ready, peace again settled upon the Hamiltons. Mrs.
Hamilton, in the whitest of white aprons, prepared to be on hand to
annoy the cook still more; Kit was ready to station herself where she
could view the finery; Joe had condescended to promise to be home in
time to eat some of the good things, and Berry--Berry was gorgeous in
his evening suit with the white waistcoat, as he directed the nimble
waiters hither and thither.




II

A FAREWELL DINNER


Maurice Oakley was not a man of sudden or violent enthusiasms.
Conservatism was the quality that had been the foundation of his
fortunes at a time when the disruption of the country had involved most
of the men of his region in ruin.