joy and pam at brookside

Front matter

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Chapter I

AM was having the last fitting on a challis dress in the sewing room. Her mother and Miss Bride, with her mouth full of pins, were discussing the length and ‘

Pam was gazing at herself in the long mirror that hung on one side of the wall.

**T’m not exactly pretty; my hair is much too red,’’ she decided as she looked at the brilliant mop of glorious red hair and wished it was a light taffy color.

But Pam was pretty with a glowing prettiness, her delicate lids veiled eyes of a sapphire blue that danced to the tune of sheer happiness.

Joy poked her nose in the door and grinned.

‘I’m going out,’’ she said. ‘‘I’ll meet you down at the old stone wall.’’

“Oh, wait for me,’’ Pam said, wriggling 9 around go that she could look over her shoulder.

‘‘No, it’s too glorious a day to stay Hideous Flora Hotchkiss said very decidedly. ‘‘Run -on Joy, and Pam, dear, please do stand still.”’

‘All right, go, but don’t let anything exciting happen till I get there,”’ Pam called for Joy was already down the hall.

There were people in Birchwood who said Joy was pretty only when she was grubby and indeed a smudge of dirt across her face did not detract from her elfin prettiness. When her hair was towsled and damp it fell in soft ringlets. It was dark brown and had a hint of gold through it when the sunshine fell on it. Her eyes were brown, too, with flecks of gold and they had the velvety softness of dead autumn leaves in color. Her expression was her , chief charm for she had a roguish:look that had not changed from babyhood that had been. spent with the happy gypsies who had allowed her impishness to have full sway. They had taught her, too, to understand animals and people so that she rode superbly, was afraid of no dog alive and always knew what the other person was thinking. Thus equipped ac oy “faced the battle of life with a smile that almost equaled Pam’s in happiness.

- To-day she had many things to think about. Brookside, the one and only boarding school, was to open in a week and there was lots to be done in the meantime.

“‘Guess I’ll say good-by to the old gypsy camp. Funny they didn’t come back this year but I suppose it’s on account of Joe.”’

She walked across the fields to the wagon - road that ran at the back of the old Payton place. Honor Hare saw her from an upstairs window and waved a greeting.

The day was warm and clear with soft little clouds that played tag across the face of the sun blotting it out for a minute and casting queer shadows on the ground.

The leaves of the birch trees were a soft yellow and the rest of the woods flamed scarlet.

Joy walked along with her head down, thinking of many things. She was forgetting the gypsies and she didn’t want to for even though Mother Ia was dead there was still Luibo and Persa. But the question that bothered her most was, where was Joe?

Suddenly a bird’s song came to her from the

direction of the old wall and she stopped to listen. Then she ran forward eagerly but — stopped in surprise at the sight that met her eyes. |

Joe was sitting on the wall, that is if this eitified looking boy could possibly be Joe. Gone were the old frayed trousers and the red sash and the torn old shirt that opened at the neck, and, oh! gone were the brown legs and the bruised, bare feet. In their place were tan shoes and stockings and a neat norfolk jacket suit and white shirt and tie.

The tangled hair was cut close to the well shaped head. Only the eyes remained the same.

‘*Joe,’? Joy exclaimed, ‘‘where have you come from and what is the matter with you?”

“‘T am a gajo now, Joy and I have to dress like one,’’ Joe said simply.

‘‘Did the Colonel buy you those clothes?’ Joy demanded, for the suit was cheap and somehow did not look like the Colonel.

‘‘No, I bought it myself and I have saved fifty dollars which I will give to the Colonel for my schooling,”’ said Joe grandly.

““Oh, Joe, how did you make it and do tell me what you have been doing since I last saw you?’’ begged Joy.

-“T have been many places,” said Joe with

I am a gajo and, oh, Joy, all gypsies are not like ours. Some of them have learned to be © ee wicked and false to all gypsy teaching and nowhere did I find the equal of Liubo and Mother Ia.”’ | i

‘“‘Of course not,’’ said Joy ina matter of fact tone, ‘‘but don’t let’s waste any more time. Let’s go straight to the Colonel’s and see a pleased he’ll be.”’

“See my violin,’’ said Joe. ‘‘Sasha gave it to me, but you are right, no more gypsies and now for the Colonel,’’ and he wrapped his violin up in a red silk handkerchief and tucked it under his arm. :

They met Pam as they sauntered along. She had heard voices and was hurrying to see what it was all about.

“Well, for mercy’s sake,’’ she exclaimed, ““do look who’s here.’’

Joe didn’t like Pam very much but he knew

Joy loved her so he said ‘‘hello’’ and stopped — to shake hands.

Pam had a million questions to ask. ‘“Where did you come from? Where are you going? Are you really going to be an a sigh, ‘‘but I have learned that down inside ~ ordinary person like us? Aren’t you glad??? —

Joe looked at her in dismay. ‘‘Pam,’’ he said quietly, ‘‘you talk too much.”’

‘‘Why Joe, she does not,’’ Joy protested all in one breath. ‘‘Oh, dear, why don’t you two like each other?’’ she continued sadly. ‘‘I’ll have to make you somehow for I won’t have — you fussing all the time, it would be just too horrid.’’

‘‘T want to be friends but Joe won’t,’’ Pam said slowly.

Joe looked from one to the other and sighed. What he wanted was impossible for he wanted Joy all to himself as it had been and the freedom of the gypsy life where they could roam the world over and be happy. But he knew now that Joy would not be content any more to call to the birds for a whole afternoon; she was truly a gajo and with a sudden ‘start he remembered that he was, too. .

‘fAll right,’’ he said good-naturedly, ‘‘we’ll all be friends and if Pam promises not to tumble off her horse I’ll like her.”’

‘“Why,’’ said Pam indignantly, ‘‘I never fall off Clinker.’’

‘‘Are you still afraid of your father’s horse ?’’ demanded Joe.

. Pam was above all things truthful but she

- wanted to fib now. 3 Yes, I am,’’ she said at last. Joe laughed. |

“‘Are you still afraid of the collie at the crossroads where we stole the jam the night Persa was married?” Joy asked impishly.

And Joe laughed again, this time at him- __ self. ‘ E- “That is fair, Joy, I suppose,’’ he said.

“Then call it square and shake hands,”’ Joy begged and they stopped in the road and Look each other’s hand sheepishly.

“Now that peace is declared,” said J oy; “‘T’ll race you to the Colonel’s.”’

“But Joy, I can’t race in these shoes,’’ Joe protested, ‘‘wait till I take them off.’’

‘“No, you have got to arrive at the Colonel’s with shod feet,’’ replied Joy, ‘‘so we’ll walk sedately.’’

They found the Colonel in his garden tying up tomato vines. Joy. sent Joe on ahead and she and Pam waited in the background. The Colonel looked up from his task and straightened his shoulders, then he saw Joe.

‘*So ‘you’ve come back, my boy,’’ he said eruffly.

“Ves, sir,’’ said J oe, standing on first one foot and Hien the ee

‘Well, mind there are to be no more runnings away,’’ the Colonel went on. ‘‘I’ll take you to town to-morrow and see about fitting you out and,’’ he stopped, ‘‘who gave you that suit ?’’ he demanded.

“‘T, myself,’’ said Joe. ‘‘I worked in a restaurant and made the money and here, here are fifty one-dollar bills for my schooling. I must learn and that quickly,’’ he said, as if learning were something that could be finished up in no time.

“‘That’s the right spirit,’’ said the Colonel and. now let’s go inside and find you a room.”’

Joy and Pam followed them into the house and up the stairs to a small bedroom with an army cot along one side and a chest of drawers on the other.

‘‘Oh, Colonel, that looks like such an uncomfy bed,’’ said Pam, prodding it with one finger, ‘‘can’t he even have a mattress?’’? She was beginning to feel very sorry for Joe.

‘‘What’s the matter with that bed?” stormed the Colonel. ‘‘It’s just like mine. Mattresses are unhealthy, but, of course, if the boy wants one’’—

JOY AND JOB.

«No, A sir,’ ? said Joe quickly, “T like a quilt on the floor best, but now I suppose I must learn to sleep in a bed,’’ he added a little wistfully.

‘“‘There, miss,” asked. the Colonel, ‘‘you women are always fussing. This is a bache-

-lor’s house.”’

‘*Well,”’? sighed Pam, ‘‘I’m glad daddy _ doesn’t make us sleep on a hard old thing like - that, aren’t you, Joy?” : | “T should say I.am; I always got as many quilts as I could from Mother Ia when'I was oe living with you, do you remember that, . Joe?’’ | | ‘‘Yes, in some ways you were always a Hi we gajo,’’ teased Joe, and much to his surprise — a Joy nodded. | ee

They went back to the living room where

the Colonel had the floor and desk and walls

_eovered by blueprint drawings of a cannon he _ was inventing.

“‘T’ll explain what all these mean some other time,’’ he told Joe and swept them on the floor under the desk.

‘‘Colonel,’’ said Joy suddenly, ‘‘let’s have a party to-night and introduce Joe to all the young people in Birchville.”’

< ‘aya

The Colonel turned to Joe. _ “Would you |

-Jike that?”’ he asked.

Joe gripped the back of the Bete beside him. Not for anything in the world would he admit to being afraid of all these boys and girls. Some of them he had met when he was a gypsy and he liked them, but they had looked at him in a different light then and he knew now that they would size him up as a gajo and he felt very small indeed.

‘Ves, have them,’’ he said, ‘‘now is the best time.”’

Joy caught the tragedy in his voice and hastened to comfort him. _

“They will like you better because you have been with the gypsies,’’ she said, ‘‘and they will like all the things you ean do.”’

‘‘The rest of the world didn’t,”’ said Joe, and he laughed grimly at certain painful memories.

Joy and Pam went home full of the party. The Colonel had left it to them to choose ue guests.

‘‘Y’ve got-a simply heavenly idea,’’ sail Pam. ‘‘Let’s line the kids up and introduce them to Joe one at a time.”’

Joy considered. ‘‘Yes, that will be a good eobore? We oe ‘‘Tt’s the crowd he’s = afraid OL.”

So that night the guests were lined up on the Colonel’s front porch, and inside in the tiny living room Joe stood like a king to receive them. |

First came Merry Talcott. Pam ushered her in and turned her over to Joy. Joy introduced her to Joe which was a little out of the ordinary for the boy should always be presented to the girl. -

** Joe, this is Merry ; you’ve met before,’ ’? she said.

‘‘Why, how do you do, Joe? I think this is perfectly heavenly having you here, and I know that Birchville is just thrilled to death. It’s a great honor having two gypsies in one town and’’—

‘“‘Time’s up, Merry,’’ said J oy. ‘If DT let you you’d talk all night.’’”

— *T expect I would,”’ said ieee and she tossed her blonde ome head. ‘‘well, good-by, see you to-morrow.’”’ |

“Next came Dandy Talcott foe as Pam said, ‘‘you may as well meet the .whole

family; 2. | “Ffello,’”? said Dandy, ‘ welcorce to the fair

20 JOY AND PAM AT BROOKSIDE — city of Birchville; we know we can’t offer you © anything that you’ll call excitement but you’re in on all our modest good times and don’t forget that.”’ |

“‘Thank you,’’ said Joe, and he meant it.

Dandy was followed by Spruce.

“Hello, there,’’ he said, ‘‘guess my family have talked you deaf, dumb and blind. Merry could talk the brass ear off a monkey.’’

“‘T liked Merry,’’ said Joe simply and Spruce’s hand shot out again.

‘Tell you a secret,’’ he said, ‘‘so do I and from now on we’re pals.”’ |

There was a slight delay because the Root twins decided to come in together.

‘*Hello,’’ said Ted, ‘‘glad you’re back.”’

**So am I,’’ agreed Bob, ‘‘and when we come back Thanksgiving we’ll initiate you into the Colonials.”’

Hdna came next and she looked very straight and dignified indeed as she offered her hand to Joe.

‘“We are very glad to welcome you to Birchville,’’ she said-sweetly, ‘‘and I hope,’’ she added as a little afterthought, ‘‘that you won’t miss the gypsies too much.”’

‘“‘She will grow to be a woman like Mother

Gordon.

Marcia had a decided air about her, she might have been a princess receiving a prince.

“It’s delightful to see you again,’’ she said. ‘‘T have never forgotten your wonderful playing.”’

Joe watched her out of the room with admiring eyes.

Next came Honor Hare and Winny Betts together, they said they were afraid of gypsies.

“‘How do you do?’’ was all they tie manage. _ They were followed by Winny’s small brother.

‘‘Gee!’’ he said in disappointment, ‘‘you’re just like everybody else now with those clothes on,’’ and Joe grinned for the first time.

Stephen Winthrop came last.

“‘Put it there,’’ he said, as he held out his hand. ‘‘I knew you’d come back to us some day and now hurry up and catch up to me in your lessons. I’m a very stupid guy, really, and then come to Bronckton with the rest of us.”’

‘‘He is like Liubo,”’ said Joe. ‘I liked him a lot before when I was here.’’

” f

“Ta,” ad Je oe as. they waited for “Marcia

- The ordeal over, they began to play games and the evening ended in a wild game of hide and go seek in which Joe excelled when he was it to the extent of standing on the front porch and calling out all their hiding places for he © had eyes that saw in the dark.

“Well, what did you think of all your new friends?’’ asked the Colonel when the last ~ guest had gone.

“‘T liked them all, but most especially Stephen,”’ said Joe. ‘‘Do you think, Colonel, that my fifty dollars would take me to that school he goes to?”’

The Colonel chuckled to himself as he answered: ‘‘Undoubtedly my boy, undoubtedly.’?

Joy and Pam talked it over in bed.

**T think the crowd liked Joe, don’t you?’’ asked Pam.

‘*T think Joe liked the crowd,”’’ said Joy.

CHAPTER IT

SHOPPING

T breakfast the next morning Joy and Pam could hardly eat a bite.

“Tt will be exciting to see Gloria,

won’t it?’’ asked Joy as she toyed with an egg.

Pam sipped her cocoa. ‘Yes, it will,’’ she agreed, ‘‘but I wish Merry. and Edna and ee were going, too.’

**Dear child, this is a shopping er ediaey not a lark,’’ remonstrated Flora. ‘‘I know it seems mean that I didn’t tell the Roots and the Talcotts we were going but there is so muck to be done and if all the rest were going toe there’d be no shopping and it would all end at the movies. Remember Gloria will be there and make the most of it.’’

‘Oh, we will,’’ promised Joy, ‘‘but we can’t help wishing.”’ ;

~“No, and Merry is such fun in a store, Pam added.

Geoffrey Hotchkiss looked up from his

morning paper.

‘‘Hat your breakfasts, girls,’? he said quietly, ‘‘or papa will have to feed you.”’

The girls ate what remained on their plates _ and as their father took out his watch and _ they saw the time they flew from the table and went to get their hats. :

Joy had on a dress of yellow homespun material and Pam wore a green one to match. Their hats were felt and the same color as their frocks. They looked very chic as they took their places beside Flora in the waiting car.

‘‘Not a sign of anybody,’’ said Pam as they drove through the village street.

‘‘They are all over at the Talcotts’s probably,’’ said Joy, a trifle wistfully.

They went the length of the village street when Pam saw the postman.

“Oh, Mummy, let’s stop and see if he has a letter from Hope for us,’’ and she was half way out of the car hailing that goodnatured man.

‘“There is no mail for you, young ladies,”’ he announced, ‘‘but here’s one for your mother, no, two, and these bills and advertisements I’ll just leave at the house.’’ He handed Flora two letters and put the rest back in his bag.

SHOPPING ee lors Guia and thanked uae srnciodsle ~The letters were from Whisper and Amy Strong. |

‘Read Whisper’s first,’’ begged the virls and Flora opened the letter.

So intent were they over the contents that they did not look up when they reached the station and the car came to a stop, for the letter said that Whisper was coming home the next day but one. : ;

_Joy was the first to look up. ‘‘Oh, I am glad,’’ she said. ‘‘That’s the day Winthrop gives his party and I know he’ll ask Whisper.”’

Her eyes traveled beyond the car and came to rest on the station platform. 3

““Mummy, look, do! oh, they are all here.”’

As Pam and her mother looked the waiting line all bowed solemnly.

Flora and the girls were speechless with laughter. Mab Talcott came forward followed by Ann Root. 3

For they were all there, all the Talcotts and all the Roots, not a member of either family was missing. Even the fathers were there and _ they looked very much amused.

“Did you two plan to shop together ?”’ asked Flora. ‘‘You had more courage than I had.”’

26 JOY AND PAM AT BROOKSI

Mabs Talcott laughed. ‘‘Indeed, not. “ere made my family promise not to tell anybody “we were going to-day but a little bird must have told the Roots because here we are and we may as well make the best of it.”’

- “And, of course, we are all going to the same stores,’’ laughed Mrs. Root. What a day we'll have!’’

Pam and Joy were completely surrounded and everyone was talking at once. ~“Tsn’t it just too heavenly for words?”’ Merry exclaimed, ‘‘and now there’s no excuse for Mabs not listening to my idea. Wait till you hear it. It’s really thrilling and it’s

about us.”’

Ey her, Dandy, stop her,’’ exclaimed Spruce, ‘‘or aie ll babble all ae A

The arrival of the train made an end to Merry’s speech and they all crowded on. It was the popular train in the morning and there were very few vacant seats. The men found some for their wives and Flora but the chiléren had to stand up.

ferry gathered the girls around her and began her story.

“Well, I thought it would be just too heayenly if all of us girls bought sweaters and caps

ETO: iaich? ok when we were out on thie

_ SHOPPING grounds nobody could tell us apart or—you know what I mean. Maybe you older girls wouldn’t want to do it but Pam and Joy and |

Hope and I could.’? She paused for breath with her characteristic little gasp.

Pam forgot the car of people and hugged her. ‘‘Oh, Merry, that’s a wonderful idea,”’ she exclaimed.

‘‘How are we going to let Hope know about it?’’ demanded Joy equally delighted.

**Oh, we’ll all buy her a sweater and tam to match ours and give them to her when we get to school.’’ Merry looked appealingly at Edna and Marcia. They looked at each other for a minute.

““Tt’s a beautiful idea, Merry, and as we are all going to be a sort of club, I think it would be great and we’ll get Faith and Gloria to do

_ it too, that will make eight of us and it quake to be a lark.’’

At this point the rae demanded attention and Bob made everybody in the car laugh by calling to his mother:

‘‘Hey, Marm, movies would be lots more fun than shopping.”

“Tell you what,’’ said Mr. Talcott. ‘‘Get

28 JOY AND PAM AT BROOKSIDE oD,

_ your shopping done this morning and I’ ee you all to lunch and Root will blow us to the movies this afternoon.”’

‘‘Motion carried unanimously,’’ shouted Dandy, and Mr. Root after one look at Edna’s smiling face, agreed to his end of it.

The train slid into the sheds at Hoboken — and many were the smiles and chuckles as our party made their way towards the tube.

‘Say, Marm, let’s go by the ferry, you promised you would,’’ said Ted.

‘‘But, Ted, all the rest are going by the tube,’’ Ann Root protested.

ade and Spruce pranced along like very small children beside their mother.

‘Mother, we want to ride on the ferry boat,”? they begged and Dandy put his finger in his mouth.

‘‘Boys, behave yourselves,’’ begged Mabs but the boys were off and they had no idea of stopping.

“*Want to go on the fer-r-r-ry boat,’’ cried Dandy stamping a large foot.

‘““Daddy, make them behave,’’ Mabs ap- _pealed to Mr. Talcott.

But Mr. Talcott was in stitches and so were | some fifty commuters as Dandy, all uncon-

_ very bad small boy.

“‘Mama, Mama, I’ll hold my breath if you don’t take me on the fer-r-r-ry boat,’’ he cried.

It would not have been at all funny if the | average person had done it but Dandy was a born actor and he carried all before him when he started to pretend.

Mabs knew he had the best of it and like tae sensible mother she was she did not try to scold. She entered into the spirit of the game.

ene along, young man, or I’ll box your ears,’’ she said in a low voice.

‘‘No-no-no-no-no!’’ whimpered Dandy.

Mabs put out her hand and before Dandy knew what she was about she had him by the ear and was pulling him along. But towards the ferry.

The sail to Twenty-third Street was hugely enjoyed and Dandy admitted that his adored mother had gotten the best of him.

In the ferryhouse they separated. The hove went with their fathers and the girls with their mothers. Two taxicabs took them to a.store up town where the shopping was delayed a little while they met Gloria and Faith with Mrs. Hotchkiss.

scious. of an audience, went on imitating a

39 JOY AND PAM AT BROOK!

Merry told them her plan and they agreed ‘s | at once and decided on white beret caps and ~ fuzzy white sweaters for best and dark blue ones for hikes. They all chipped 1 in and bought duplicates for Hope.

After that came dresses. Gloria looked sweet in a rose silk and Marcia was demure in gray. Edna’s choice was tan and Faith de- — cided on a blue. Joy and Pam stuck to their own colors of yellow and green.

Then came shoes. Merry couldn’t find a pair to fit her slender feet and had to have a pair made to order. Joy had a large foot from going barefoot so much, but it was beautifully formed and looked well with her slender ankle.

Hats were the last thing on the list and Merry made faces at herself in the glass as the astonished saleswoman tried them on her one after the other.

In spite of fears the ae were completed at last and it was a tired and hungry party that filed into the attractive tea room in the forties and waited there for their host.

_ He was not long in coming and the boys and _ Mr. Root followed.

He had phoned for a table and when they

went to it they discovered that it had a bowl

SHOPPING | aS asters in the center and a cach place was a box. | ‘The girls spehed their’ s first and ane inside the tissue paper little bottles with glass flowered stoppers. | ““How heavenly,’’ sighed Merry and she gave her father the look for which he had been waiting.

Ted was the first of the boys io open his e. and he discovered a blue tie with white dots on it. The rest of the boys had the same thing. ‘““We'll wear them on church parade,” laughed Spruce, ‘‘outside our uniforms.”’ ‘**T dare you to,’’ said Dandy, laughing. ‘‘Boys, how stupid of daddy,’’ exclaimed Babs. ‘‘He forgot all about your uniforms.’’

“No, I didn’t,” laughed Mr. Talcott. “The truth of the matter is, I told my secretary to come up here and buy favors for you all and the ties were her idea.”’

‘‘And a good one to keep the twins from borrowing mine,’’ grumbled Mr. Root. _ In spite of the mistake everybody had a - good time at luncheon and Spruce acted grown up with Gloria and Faith and they seemed to like it.

‘What movie are we going to, Dad ?’’ asked ment in silence.

‘“‘My darling daughter, I haven’t, the re- -motest idea,’’ he answered. ‘‘I told Miss Geeves to hunt out something good and phone for seats and then bless me, I went off and forgot it.

‘‘Better go telephone her now and find out what she selected,’’ suggested Ann Root.

Mr. Root left the table to return after a few minutes with a worried expression on his face.

‘‘Box seats for a thing called ‘Chang,’ ’’ he said. ‘‘Hope it’s all right.’’ Ted folded up his napkin in a hurry.

“*Let’s go,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a jungle picture and it’s great. I read all about it.’’

And a great picture they found it. Everybody enjoyed it to the uttermost, and when the elephants stampeded at the end Spruce felt it necessary to hold Gloria’s hand, and she was so excited she didn’t even know she was having her hand held, and one and all they wanted a monkey like the one on the screen for a pet.

‘Ted and Bob fell asleep on the train going home, but Merry kept the girls all awake with her constant chatter and the burden of it was Brookside.

Edna, and her father looked at her fora mo- bs !

Chapter III

STEPHEN’S PARTY is room pealed out its insistent summons and Joy ran to answer it.

Hope it’s Merry”’ she called back over her shoulder.

But it was not Merry. It was Mrs. Winthrop instead and she wanted to speak to Mrs. |

Hotchkiss.

“Flora, my dear, is that you?” she inquired when Flora had come to the telephone. _“Yes,’’ said Flora, in a not very eager voice. “‘T do think children can be the most inconsiderate beings,’? Mrs. Winthrop went on. “‘Here, at the last minute, Stephen tells me he must invite this little Whisper York, such an absurd name for a child.”’ : “Why, I think that is very sweet and considerate of Stephen,’’ Flora defended, ‘‘and surely one child won’t make any difference.”’ Mrs. Winthrop’s voice came querulously over the wire. —

| ane telephone in the Hotchkiss’s living

34 JOY AND PAM AT BROOKS:

“Tt upsets my whole table decorations and — makes an uneven number of boys and girls.’’

‘“Why not ask another boy?’’ Flora asked sweetly.

‘“‘Oh, don’t suggest it,’? Mrs. Winthrop wailed. ‘‘Stephen wants that gypsy and I just won’t have him.’’

Flora considered for a moment and then spoke coldly.

‘“You must do exactly as you see fit, of course, but let me remind you that Joe is not a gypsy but the Colonel’s adepted son and on the way to be a famous musician.’’ Then she added with a little laugh. ‘‘ You may be glad some day that you asked him to your party.”’

**Do you really think so?’’ asked Mrs. Winthrop. ‘‘Of course I wouldn’t like to do anything to hurt the Colonel’s feelings. Perhaps I’d better ask him.”’

‘‘T would, if I were in your place, and it certainly would annoy the Colonel if you slighted him,’’ Flora replied.

“Then I’ll telephone him right away and, thank you, dear, for your advice,’’ and Mrs. Winthrop rang off happy in the thought that she was possibly entertaining a future celebrity and Flora smiled to herself. She had

8 STEPHEN Ss PARTY e ised it as she knew Stephen would want it and that pleased her, for after her own children, she loved Stephen, for she realized that he lacked a mother’s understanding.

“Oh, Mummy, tell us about it,’’ Pam begged when her mother turned from the telephone.