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Show couldn't imagine who b t.-.u be. However, it aeemed to be tip to me to do something, so 1 drew myself to my commanding height of Ave feet four Inches and begged his pardon for disturbing dis-turbing him, explaining that my little nephews usually occupied that room, and that they were expecting me over to celebrate the Fourth with them but it all sounded like perfect nonsense. non-sense. Just then, to my mingled relief and annoyance, Tom appeared at the window, too, with a fiendish grin, as he sized up the situation and my costume. cos-tume. "Keen serenading you, has she, Archie?" be asked affably, while I boiled with helpless rage. "You mustn't mind It, old man; lt'a the day we celebrate, cele-brate, you know, and our patriotism still runs so high that even the girls seek out peaceable English visitors and taunt them with our Independence, Quite the usual thing." Then, as "Archie" and I preserved a helpless silence, Tom sobered down and Introduced Intro-duced us In proper style, and aa soon as I heard the name I remembered that Archie Vane was Tom's chum In London, when he was over there set ting up some machinery. He had Just landed and Tom, running across htm in New York the night before, had Insisted In-sisted on bis coming borne with him to spend the Fourth all natural enough when Tom explained It 8o there I'd been bearding the Ilrltlsh Hon In tils den with militant American !oIhs on the anniversary of a day Ignored Ig-nored by all good Engllahmen; and here waa the Ilrltlsh Hon looking at imi with his Ingenuous blue eyes as if he waa trying to decide whether I'd bite or not. "I warn you," Tom added, In his tactful little way, "that Peggy la a rabidly patriotic person, so I wouldn't advise you to start any discussions on ; International Issues. Tbls Columbia getup Is quite In character, so beware!" be-ware!" Alice and the boys came oul on the porch just then and wanted mt to atay to breakfast1; but of course 1 declined with dignity and went home via tbe front gate, however, Instead ol the garden wall. When I turned tc latch It that Englishman was still look Ing at me In a dazed aort of way. The plot thickens. After breakfast my beloved kiddles rushed over to bei me to go with them on the usual farn Uy picnic to the pine grove, and I hadn't the heart to disappoint them. 1 wore my most sensible clothes, and 1 tried hard to be haughty and distant to Mr. Vane; but he kept developing, such nice qualities that somehow 1 couldn't keep It up, especially as he Ig nored my crazy performance of th j I morning so successfully. He was rr : mmmMk Tom Appeared at the Window, Too. positive genius when It came to chat Ing cows, fixing hammocks, unpacking luncheon and all the regular plcnl atunta. The boys adored him, and bi was simply angelic to the old folks; and by the time we went home I couldn't scare up a reaentful feeling. Yes, Polly, I know; you needn't re mind tne of all the hateful things I'vi said about Englishmen and the timet I've vowed I couldn't, and wouldn't care for one. not If be asked me on bli bended knees. Yea, and I've demonstrated demon-strated often that no one but an American man waa a fit companion foi an American glrL I've said heaps ol perfectly ferocious things, and 1 aup pose I meant every one of them. Hoi that was before Archie Polly, dear, do you know, be says It waa all ovei with htm from the first moment he saw me and In that circus parade rig! Isn't it absurd and lovely T And, Just think, lt'a only a week since we me, w though we both agree that it seems b like years. And you should see my ring a quaint, old. old one, that belonged be-longed to bis great-great grandmother! And hla people live in a lovely old Ellxabethan house, In a regular Cran-ford Cran-ford town; and hla mother's a dear little old fashioned soul with aide curls, and Idolises him. Please don't remind me of anything I ever aald about effete tradition, will yon, Polly t I'm not going to England yet awhile, though, for Archie's here Indefinitely, to lean American business methods. In Tom's line of work. 1 really have a little spark of American pride, I guess, for I am glsd he's only a younger son, with no title within reach, thongh I dost suppose I'd mind that, or anything else. Pecaase, Polly dear, I'm not shouting the battle cry ot freedom nowadays. Somehow It gets all mixed up with "Rule Britannia." Do come up with me soon aed disease the new Anglo-Faxon Anglo-Faxon alliance with your bewildered bat blissful PEGGY. TflEMLE MPS mm ' ssBBssssBsBBB')LLIKIN3 Dear: So you Pwant to know how I spent the Glorious Fourth? Was I sane and sedate, comport- P-T Ing myself In a manner be- fitting a brand new college f graduate, or did I run off and romp with Urotbcr Tom'a kiddlea, as usual, forgetting all my recently acquired dignity? Alas, my I " f dssr! I must confess that my Fourth was far, far from sane, and that instead of recovemg my sanity fve Hut there, my studies In prose style should teach me better than to lump at the conclusion of my story tike that! I'll begin at tbe beRlnntng. It was Independence day. Tbe sun was ahtnlng In newly awakened aplen-dor, aplen-dor, when the casual observer might have discerned a solitary female form gracefully scaling the stone wall between be-tween the luxuriant back gardens of the Hendersons and the dlttu ditto of the Harllotts Tom and htellnlly are staying with her mother, you know, nest door. - This feat accomplished, our berotnd (that's me!) proceeded up the UarV lett lawn, collecting dewdrops on her (railing cheesecloth drsperles and, incidentally, in-cidentally, getting her new white shoes deplorably damp. Her slender form waa draped also in a large American flag, and her raven curia were surmounted by a fillet of silver stars. This Goddess of Liberty effect was tbe result of a promise to "dress up" for tbe two adoring and adorable nephews, Bert and Bob. Arrived beneath be-neath the window of the room usually usu-ally occupied by the nephews, the Goddess ot Liberty proceeds to the time-honored ceremony of saluting them; this she does by setting off ten packs ot small firecrackers, followed by a "sock dolager" of a big one. No joyful acclamations follow. Aunt Peggy Is frankly pussled; clearly, the boys are oversleeping, and she bursts , Into song, rendering the "Star-spangled Panner" with dramstio effect, marred only by a breathless squeak IP mm Gracefully Scaling the Stone Wsll. on the final "Land of the free." Still no Dob and Bert Our heroine shlee bit ot tart at the window, with a command, "Wake Bp, laxybones!" and as the window sash begins to creak Teepcnslvely she begins to carol "Ehoutiog the tattle Cry of Freedom" mt the top of her very healthy lungs, for Aaat Peggy baa do foolish dig-titty dig-titty when lt'a a question ot amosing (he kiddies. At last the window opens wide and, looking up, she sees-Polly, sees-Polly, what do yon think? Instead of two UUle white eighties and two tousled early beads, there was a man! A strange youag man. my dear; blonde. Blue-eyed, Immaculate la a tx-xutlfnl dock ault and gaxlng at me with what seemed to be mild horror, snixed with amasemeat, as though I were aa escaped lunatic I felt tike one. I assure yoo, all tbe more so be-easse be-easse he was awfully food looking and il groomed and correct; and 1 |