The St. Johns herald., 1922-11-30

that. Ina was using her eyes, she was
 arch, she was coquettish, she was fir
 tatious, and she believed herself
 to be merely matronly, sisterly, wOm-
 anly
 She screamed. Dwight was at the
 gate. Now the meeting. exclamation,
 banality, guffaw . good will.
 And Lulu, peeping through the blind
 
 When "tea' had been experienced that evening, it was found that light rain was falling and the DeacOns and their guests, the Flows, were con- strained to remain in the parlor. The Flows were gentle, faintly lustrOus folk, sketched into life rather lightly, as if they were, say, looking in from some other level.
 'The only thing" said Dwight Herbert, "that reconciles me to rain is that I'm let off croquet." He rolled | his r'S. a favOrite device of his to in- duce humor. He called 1t ''croquette." He had never been more irrepressible. The advent of his brother was partly accountable, the need to show himself a fine family man and host in a pros porous little hOme-simple and pa- thetic desire
 "Tell you what we'll dop said Dwight. "Nin and I'll reminisce a lit- tle."
 Dol" cried MT. Flow. This gentle fellow was always excited by life, so faintly excited by him, and enjoyed it's presentation in any real form.
 Ninian had unerringly selected dwarf rocker, and he was overfowing 1t and rocking.
 "Take this chair, do!'' Ina begged. "A big chair for big man." She spoke as if he were about the age of Monona.
 Ninian refused, insisted on his re- fusal. A few years more, and human relationships would have spread san ity even to Ina's estate and she would have told him why he should exchange chairs. AS it was she forebore, and | kept glancing anxiously at the over burdened little beast beneath him.
 The child Monona entered the room. 1 She had been driven down by Di and l Jenny PloW, who had vanished up- | stairs and, through the ventilator, might be heard in a lift and fall of | giggling. Monona had also been driven | from the kitchen where Lulu was, for some reason, hurrying through the | dishes. Monona now ran to Mrs. Bett, | stood beside her and stared about re- sentfully. Mrs. Bett was in best black and ruches, and she seized upon Mo mona and patted her, as her own form of social expression; and MonOna wriggled like a puppy, as hers.
 Quiet, petite" said Ina. eyebrows up. She caught her lower lip in her teeth.
 "Well, sir" said Dwight, "you wouldn't think 1t to look at us, but mother had her hands pretty full, bring ing us up."
 Into Dwight's face came another look. It was always so when he spoke of this foster-mother who had taken these two boys and seen them through the graded schools. This woman Dwight adored, and when he spoke of her he became his inner self.
 'We must run upstate and see her while you're here, Nin," he said.
 To this Ninian gave a casual assent, lacking his brothers really tender ar- dor.
 Little" Dwight pursued, little did TSxl | quiet, married dentist and magistrate In my town. And Min into-say, Min, what are you, anyway?"
 They laughed.
 That's the question" said Ninian.
 They laughed.
 Maybe" Ina ventured, maybe Ninian will tell us something about his He is quite a traveller, you know," she said to the Flows. "A reg 1lar Gulliver"
 They laughed respectfully.
 "HOw we should love 1t, MT. Dea- con-" Mrs. Flow said. "You know we've never seen very much"
 Goaded on, Ninian launched upon lis foreign countries as he had seen hem: Population, exports. imports, soil, irrigation, business. For the pop llations Ninian had no respect. Crops ,ould not touch ours. Soil mighty poor )ickings. And the business-say Those fellows don't know-and, say, he hotels Don't say foreign hotel to Ninian.
 He regarded all the alien earth as and he stoned it. He was for absolutely no intensive observation. His contacts were negli- ,ible. Mrs. Flow was more excited by he Deacons' party than Ninian had 'een wrought upon by all his voyag-