vacation cover the weddings. I can't allow the Originals to get married,
celebrate or jollificate without me."

"Oh, Tom, will you really?" cried Grace with enthusiasm. "I'll let you
know the moment the date of the girls' weddings is set."

"Can you stay over until to-morrow, Tom?" asked Mrs. Gray. "Then we can go
back to Oakdale on the late afternoon train."

"I'm afraid not, Aunt Rose, I'm a day late now. I'll have to take the
night train for Washington. Let me see." He drew a time table from his
coat pocket. "There is a train out of Overton at nine o'clock to-night.
I'm due to catch it. But I'm going to take you all to dinner at the
Tourraine and we are going for a drive afterward which will end at the
station, where you will all see me on my desolate way. Are there any
objections?"

"Nothing but delighted acceptances, my dear boy," assured his aunt,
glancing fondly at her big, good-looking nephew. "I'll venture to answer
for the girls, too."

"We'll come to Tom's dinner party, provided he has luncheon with us,"
stipulated Grace. "It's almost noon now. Mrs. Elwood will have luncheon
ready at one. You'd better come with us, Tom. We are going to have
strawberry shortcake with whipped cream, for dessert."

"You couldn't lose me," asserted Tom with slangy emphasis. "Shall I go on
ahead and telephone for a car, Aunt Rose?"

"No, I'll walk to Wayne Hall with you children," decided Mrs. Gray.