off. "She said she would help, if we wanted her."




IV

WELCOME HOME!


Marian," said old Mr. King, putting his head in at the door of her
little writing-room, "can't you get her comfortably out of the way this
morning? I want your services without interruption."

"She's going down to Pinaud's," said Mrs. Whitney, looking up from the
note she was writing.

"Capital! when she once gets there, she'll stay the morning," declared
Mr. King, greatly pleased. "Now, then, after she's cleverly off, you may
come to me."

"I will, father," said Marian, going back with a smile to her
correspondence.

Half an hour later Thomas, with the aid of the horses and the shopping
coupe having carried off Mrs. Chatterton, Mrs. Whitney pushed aside her
notes, and ran down to her father's study.

She found him in his velvet morning-gown seated before his table, busy
with a good-sized list of names that was rapidly growing longer under