from the time they reach here this afternoon until they go away
Monday morning."

"It was a good party!" agreed Courtney, "By the way, I owe my poker
guests to Johnny Gamble. He asked if they would be here, and seemed
to want them. He's a live member! Did I ever tell you how he helped
me skin old Mort Washer?" And, changing his mind about entering the
jessamine bower, Mr. Courtney, explaining with great glee the
skinning of his friend Mort Washer, took the other path and the two
strolled away without having seen or heard the luckless
eavesdroppers.

The miserable pair in the bower, exhibiting various shades of red,
looked steadfastly out into the blue, blue sky for some minutes in
stupefied silence. Johnny presently picked up his sailor straw hat
and surveyed the nick in its brim with ingenuous interest.

"I bought that hat in Baltimore," he inanely observed.

Constance suddenly rose and walked straight out of there--alone!





CHAPTER XVIII

IN WHICH THE ENTIRE WOBBLES FAMILY FOR ONCE GET TOGETHER