was complaining about me, as usual.

"She looks older than I do now, mother," she said. "If she goes to the
seashore with us I'll have her always taging at my heals. I don't see
why I can't have my first summer in peace." Oh, yes, we were going to
the shore, after all. Sis wanted it, and everybody does what she wants,
regardless of what they prefer, even Fishing.

"First summer!" I exclaimed. "One would think you were a teething baby!"

"I was speaking to mother, Barbara. Everyone knows that a Debutante
only has one year nowadays, and if she doesn't go off in that year she's
swept away by the flood of new Girls the next fall. We might as well
be frank. And while Barbara's not a beauty, as soon as the bones in her
neck get a little flesh on them she won't be hopeless, and she has a
flipant manner that Men like."

"I intend to keep Barbara under my eyes this summer," mother said
firmly. "After last Xmas's happenings, and our Discovery today, I shall
keep her with me. She need not, however, interfere with you, Leila.
Her Hours are mostly diferent, and I will see that her friends are the
younger boys."

I said nothing, but I knew perfectly well she had in mind Eddie Perkins
and Willie Graham, and a lot of other little kids that hang around the
fruit Punch at parties, and throw the peas from the Croquettes at each
other when the footmen are not near, and pretend they are allowed to
smoke, but have sworn off for the summer.

I was naturaly indignant at Sis's words, which were not filial, to my