At this point a maid announced that supper was served and instantly Gilbert took his departure. At the same timethe family arose and Mrs. Griffiths asked the maid: "Has Bella telephoned yet?""No, ma'am," replied the servant, "not yet.""Well, have Mrs. Truesdale call up the Finchleys and see if she's there. You tell her I said that she is to comehome at once."The maid departed for a moment while the group proceeded to the dining room, which lay to the west of thestairs at the rear. Again, as Clyde saw, this was another splendidly furnished room done in a very light brown,with a long center table of carved walnut, evidently used only for special occasions. It was surrounded by high-backed chairs and lighted by candelabras set at even spaces upon it. In a lower ceilinged and yet ample circularalcove beyond this, looking out on the garden to the south, was a smaller table set for six. It was in this alcovethat they were to dine, a different thing from what Clyde had expected for some reason.

　　Seated in a very placid fashion, he found himself answering questions principally as to his own family, the natureof its life, past and present; how old was his father now? His mother? What had been the places of their residencebefore moving to Denver? How many brothers and sisters had he? How old was his sister, Esta? What did shedo? And the others? Did his father like managing a hotel? What had been the nature of his father's work inKansas City? How long had the family lived there?

　　Clyde was not a little troubled and embarrassed by this chain of questions which flowed rather heavily andsolemnly from Samuel Griffiths or his wife. And from Clyde's hesitating replies, especially in regard to thenature of the family life in Kansas City, both gathered that he was embarrassed and troubled by some of thequestions. They laid it to the extreme poverty of their relatives, of course. For having asked, "I suppose youbegan your hotel work in Kansas City, didn't you, after you left school?" Clyde blushed deeply, bethinkinghimself of the incident of the stolen car and of how little real schooling he had had. Most certainly he did not likethe thought of having himself identified with hotel life in Kansas City, and more especially the Green- Davidson.

　　But fortunately at this moment, the door opened and Bella entered, accompanied by two girls such as Clydewould have assumed at once belonged to this world. How different to Rita and Zella with whom his thought sorecently had been disturbedly concerned. He did not know Bella, of course, until she proceeded most familiarlyto address her family. But the others--one was Sondra Finchley, so frequently referred to by Bella and hermother--as smart and vain and sweet a girl as Clyde had ever laid his eyes upon--so different to any he had everknown and so superior. She was dressed in a close-fitting tailored suit which followed her form exactly andwhich was enhanced by a small dark leather hat, pulled fetchingly low over her eyes. A leather belt of the samecolor encircled her neck. By a leather leash she led a French bull and over one arm carried a most striking coat ofblack and gray checks--not too pronounced and yet having the effect of a man's modish overcoat. To Clyde'seyes she was the most adorable feminine thing he had seen in all his days. Indeed her effect on him was electric-thrilling--arousing in him a curiously stinging sense of what it was to want and not to have--to wish to win andyet to feel, almost agonizingly that he was destined not even to win a glance from her. It tortured and flusteredhim. At one moment he had a keen desire to close his eyes and shut her out--at another to look only at herconstantly--so truly was he captivated.

　　Yet, whether she saw him or not, she gave no sign at first, exclaiming to her dog: "Now, Bissell, if you're notgoing to behave, I'm going to take you out and tie you out there. Oh, I don't believe I can stay a moment if hewon't behave better than this." He had seen a family cat and was tugging to get near her.

　　Beside her was another girl whom Clyde did not fancy nearly so much, and yet who, after her fashion, was assmart as Sondra and perhaps as alluring to some. She was blonde--tow-headed--with clear almond-shaped,greenish-gray eyes, a small, graceful, catlike figure, and a slinky feline manner. At once, on entering, she sidledacross the room to the end of the table where Mrs. Griffiths sat and leaning over her at once began to purr.

　　"Oh, how are you, Mrs. Griffiths? I'm so glad to see you again. It's been some time since I've been over here,hasn't it? But then Mother and I have been away. She and Grant are over at Albany to-day. And I just picked upBella and Sondra here at the Lamberts'. You're just having a quiet little supper by yourselves, aren't you? Howare you, Myra?" she called, and reaching over Mrs. Griffiths' shoulder touched Myra quite casually on the arm,as though it were more a matter of form than anything else.

　　In the meantime Bella, who next to Sondra seemed to Clyde decidedly the most charming of the three, wasexclaiming: "Oh, I'm late. Sorry, Mamma and Daddy. Won't that do this time?" Then noting Clyde, and asthough for the first time, although he had risen as they entered and was still standing, she paused in semi-mockmodesty as did the others. And Clyde, oversensitive to just such airs and material distinctions, was fairlytremulous with a sense of his own inadequacy, as he waited to be introduced. For to him, youth and beauty insuch a station as this represented the ultimate triumph of the female. His weakness for Hortense Briggs, to say nothing of Rita, who was not so attractive as either of these, illustrated the effect of trim femininity on him,regardless of merit.

　　"Bella," observed Samuel Griffiths, heavily, noting Clyde still standing, "your cousin, Clyde.""Oh, yes," replied Bella, observing that Clyde looked exceedingly like Gilbert. "How are you? Mother has beensaying that you were coming to call one of these days." She extended a finger or two, then turned toward herfriends. "My friends, Miss Finchley and Miss Cranston, Mr. Griffiths."The two girls bowed, each in the most stiff and formal manner, at the same time studying Clyde most carefullyand rather directly, "Well, he does look like Gil a lot, doesn't he?" whispered Sondra to Bertine, who had drawnnear to her. And Bertine replied: "I never saw anything like it. He's really better-looking, isn't he-- a lot?"Sondra nodded, pleased to note in the first instance that he was somewhat better-looking than Bella's brother,whom she did not like--next that he was obviously stricken with her, which was her due, as she invariablydecided in connection with youths thus smitten with her. But having thus decided, and seeing that his glance waspersistently and helplessly drawn to her, she concluded that she need pay no more attention to him, for thepresent anyway. He was too easy.

　　But now Mrs. Griffiths, who had not anticipated this visitation and was a little irritated with Bella for introducingher friends at this time since it at once raised the question of Clyde's social position here, ob............