The two gentlemen turned about, and at the sight of the child they became far less correct in their general deportment. Happiness made them quite unconscious of self. Very shortly afterward a little girl was sitting between two altogether presentable gentlemen on the top step in front of the Baron mansion. “Of course we shouldn’t,” admitted Bonnie May. “We never sit on the front steps. I mean, the Family. But nobody will know. And, besides, I don’t see how we can help ourselves.” “We don’t mind at all,” Clifton assured her. He looked inquiringly over his shoulder, into the vestibule. “What is it?--an old ladies’ home?” “Not exactly. It’s one old lady’s home, and you couldn’t get in without a jimmy or a letter of introduction. She used to be a Boone.” “Of course that explains it,” said Clifton. “What are you doing here? Does she give private theatricals?” “Not intentionally. No, I’m the little daughter of the house--a kind of Little Eva, without any dogs or fiddles, and I have to go to bed at nine o’clock, and take lessons. It’s really a wonderful place. When we all sit down to the table it--it sticks. When I get across with anything neat nobody whistles. Far from it.” Clifton and Jack accepted all this as quite definitely informative. “Domesticated,” explained Clifton to Jack, who nodded. “How did you find them?” Jack wanted to know. “They found me. There’s a Romeo in the house who’s the real thing. Love me, love my Romeo. That’s how I feel about him. He brought me here.” “But where----” “You see, Miss Barry wished me onto one of the theatres here last spring when the going got rough. Put me down and disappeared. And he found me. I wish to goodness you and he could get acquainted. _You_ know that I was a baby only a few years back. But just because I don’t cry for bread and milk here they seem to think I’m Mrs. Tom Thumb come back to earth. You could tell them.” Clifton and Jack leaned back as far as they safely could and laughed heartily. Then they drew painfully sedate faces and sprang to their feet. A soft yet decisive voice--the voice of a young woman--sounded behind them. When Bonnie May turned around she realized that she and her two friends were standing in a line on the bottom step, looking up into the faces of Baron and Flora, who had made their appearance in the vestibule. Flora was smiling in a pleasantly mischievous manner. Baron was regarding the two actors critically, yet not with unfriendliness. “Won’t you introduce your friends?” asked Flora. Bonnie May did so. She concluded with, “old friends of mine in the profession.” “If I might suggest,” said Flora, “it’s ever so much more comfortable in the house, if you don’t mind coming in.” She turned to Baron with slightly heightened color. Her glance seemed to say: “You can see they are gentlemen.” Something of constraint passed from her eyes when Baron pushed the door open and turned to the two men, who were “in the profession,” and led the way into the house.