There was some excitement in the Wright family when Elizabeth came speeding home in Billy McGraw’s stylish little racer. They had grown accustomed if not resigned to the peculiarities of this member of the family who insisted upon working all day in a funny shop with an unstylish little person, the daughter of a policeman so they understood. Her only value in their eyes was that she was a friend of Mary Louise’s. As has been remarked before, that fact went a long way in the opinion of Dorfield towards establishing a person as worthy of being cultivated.

Another thing that was reconciling the Wright family somewhat to Elizabeth’s erratic mode of life was that she had begun to put money in the bank. This they were sure of, as one of the sisters had had a peep in her bank book. The shop was proving a financial success and in the170 eyes of one’s family nothing succeeds like monetary success.

And here was Elizabeth driving up in style in the car of the young man conceded by all Dorfield mothers and daughters to be the most desirable catch in town. Next to catching him themselves the sisters of Elizabeth would have liked to have her catch him. The mother was perfectly impartial as to which member of her family should land such a large game fish.

“I don’t believe she even asked him in,” declared Gertrude, peeping out the window.

“I am sure she didn’t,” agreed Annabel. “I know he would have come in if she had asked him. Elizabeth doesn’t know how to handle men at all.”

“No, she is simply foolish the way she goes to work,” said Pauline. “No man likes to be cut so short. She just gave him a little nod and came on in before he had even got back in his car and started his engine. She’ll never win out with such indifference.”

“I don’t know about that,” put in Margaret, who loved to take the opposite view, “sometimes the grand independent way is quite taking, especially with a man like Billy McGraw, who has171 been spoiled to death. How did you happen to get a lift?” This to Elizabeth, who had just entered the room.

“I met Billy at Mrs. Markle’s and he asked to bring me home, as he was coming this way,” said Elizabeth with as much sangfroid as she could muster.

“I think I shall have the Markles and Mr. McGraw to dinner soon,” said Mrs. Wright, who had listened with half an ear to the conversation of her daughters. “I have meant to entertain them for some time and since they are such friends of Billy McGraw’s it would be agreeable to have them all come together.”

“I wouldn’t,” faltered Elizabeth. “You are not called on to entertain them.”

“I fancy I am the best judge of that,” said her mother sharply. “I should like to know since when it has been necessary for one of my daughters to dictate to me when I should and should not entertain in my own house. You say you have been calling at Mrs. Markle’s and it seems quite fitting then that I should call on her and invite her to dinner.”

“Don’t you like Mrs. Markle?” asked Margaret curiously, noting with amusement that172 Elizabeth had flushed painfully under her mother’s tirade. Mrs. Wright’s tirades were not usually looked upon very seriously by her daughters.

“Why, I never thought much about it,” said Elizabeth evasively.

“I fancy she is some beau grabber,” suggested Pauline.

“Why did you call on her if you didn’t like her?” asked Gertrude.

“Heavens above!” ejaculated Elizabeth. “Perhaps I had some business to attend to—or perhaps I didn’t,” remembering suddenly that her business with Mrs. Markle was of a delicate nature and not to be mentioned outside of the bosom of the Higgledy-Piggledy.

“What business?” insisted Gertrude.

“The kind one gets rich attending to, my own,” said Elizabeth. She knew she was rude, but why couldn’t her family let her alone? She had worked hard all day typing the novel for the would-be author; writing an obituary notice for a bereaved gentleman who had just lost his fourth wife; and polishing up a paper for an aspiring leader of a literary club. She was tired now and would have liked to go to her room173 and be quiet for a few moments. How different life was at the shop! There everybody was busy and nobody had time to be poking her nose in everybody’s business.

“I fancy your business was running after Billy McGraw,” continued Gertrude. Since rudeness was the order of the day, she was fully capable of doing her share to keep the ball rolling.

Elizabeth’s inclination was to answer with increased acrimony but she thought better of it and merely left the room, even refraining from slamming the door, which was always a good way to get the last word in an argument in the Wright household.

“Why, why, can’t they let me alone?” she asked herself when she got to the room which she shared with Margaret. She vaguely wished she had kept her temper and not been so quick to take it for granted that her sisters were interfering.
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