lifted over sparkling eyes; vivacity came to her whole body in a
flash; and she tripped down the steps, with her pretty hands
rising in time to the lilting little tune she had begun to hum.

At the foot of the stairs, one of those pretty hands extended
itself at full arm's length toward Russell, and continued to be
extended until it reached his own hand as he came to meet her.
"How terrible of me!" she exclaimed. "To be so late coming down!
And papa, too--I think you know each other."

Her father was advancing toward the young man, expecting to shake
hands with him, but Alice stood between them, and Russell, a
little flushed, bowed to him gravely over her shoulder, without
looking at him; whereupon Adams, slightly disconcerted, put his
hands in his pockets and turned to his wife.

"I guess dinner's more'n ready," he said. "We better go sit
down."

But she shook her head at him fiercely, "Wait!" she whispered.

"What for? For Walter?"

"No; he can't be coming," she returned, hurriedly, and again
warned him by a shake of her head. "Be quiet!"

"Oh, well----" he muttered.

"Sit down!"