Lindley sent her this morning. Laid it in the waste-basket and
sneaked it into the reception room for an excuse to go galloping
in and----"

"`Galloping'?" said Mrs. Madison gravely.

"It was a pretty bum excuse," continued the unaffected youth, "but
you bet your life you'll never beat our Cora-_lee_ when there's a
person in pants on the premises! It's sickening." He rose, and
performed something like a toe-dance, a supposed imitation of his
sister's mincing approach to the visitor. "Oh, dear, I am such a
little sweety! Here I am all alone just reeking with
Browning-and-Tennyson and thinking to myself about such lovely
things, and walking around looking for my nice, pretty rose. Where
can it be? Oh heavens, Mister, are _you_ here? Oh my, I never,
never thought that there was a _man_ here! How you frighten me!
See what a shy little thing I am? You _do see, don't_ you, old
sweeticums? Ta, ta, here's papa. Remember me by that rose, 'cause
it's just like me. Me and it's twins, you see, cutie-sugar!" The
diabolical boy then concluded with a reversion to the severity of
his own manner: "If she was _my_ daughter I'd whip her!"

His indignation was left in the air, for the three ladies had
instinctively united against him, treacherously including his
private feud in the sex-war of the ages: Cora jumped lightly upon
the table and sat whistling and polishing the nails of one hand
upon the palm of another; Laura continued to sew without looking
up, and Mrs. Madison, conquering a tendency to laugh, preserved a
serene countenance and said ruminatively: