comfortable, incongruous, and hideous. The Costellos were very rich,
and had been very poor; and certain people were fond of telling of
the queer, ridiculous things they did, in trying to spend their
money. But they were very happy, and thought their immense, ugly
house was the finest in the city, or in the world.

"Well, an' what's the news on the Rialter?" said the head of the
house now, busy with his soup.

"You'll have the laugh on me, Dad," his wife assured him, placidly.
"After all my sayin' that nothing'd take me to Father Crowley's
meetin'!"

"Oh, that was it?" said the mayor. "What's he goin' to have,--a
concert?"

"--AND a fair too!" supplemented Mrs. Costello. There was an
interval devoted on her part to various bibs and trays, and a low
aside to the waitress. Then she went on: "As you know, I went,
meanin' to beg off. On account of baby bein' so little, and Leo's
cough, and the paperers bein' upstairs,--and all! I thought I'd just
make a donation, and let it go at that. But the ladies all kind of
hung back--there was very few there--and I got talkin'--"

"Well,'tis but our dooty, after all," said the mayor, nodding
approval.

"That's all, Frank. Well! So finally Mrs. Kiljohn took the coffee,
and the Lemmon girls took the grab-bag. The Guild will look out for
the concert, and I took one fancy-work booth, and of course the