“No, I don’t. I couldn’t. (Jerry, you sit down there and behave yourself or I’ll spank you!) If you think I’m wrong, maybe you’d like me to tell my son the way you first happened to go on the stage. No? I guess I’ve got this thing framed up pretty near straight. It’s a grand-stand play, and Papa is It, eh? A masterstroke of surprise for the old man, and a final tableau of the bunch of us clustering about you and Gerald in the centre of the stage, while you fall on each other’s necks and do a unison exclamation of ‘God-bless-the-dear-old-Dad! How-much-will-he-leave-us? And-how-soon?’ You waited in town awhile. But Papa didn’t relent and send Hubby back to his lonely wifie. Then you sick Gerald on to acting like a human being, hoping to win Papa over by being a good boy. No go. Then as a last play you butt in here on a sudden with all your lines learned down pat, and do a grand appeal. Well, Mrs.-Miss-Emma-Higgs-Enid-Montmorency-Conover, it doesn’t work. That’s all. If you’ve got the sense I think, you’ll see the show’s a frost, and you’ll start back for Broadway. Take my blessing, if you want it, and take Jerry along for good measure, if you like. It’s all you’ll ever get from me, either of you.” To Caleb Conover’s unbounded horror and amaze, Enid, instead of spurning him haughtily, burst into a crescendo, throaty gurgle of contralto weeping, and flung herself bodily upon him; her long-gloved arms twining about his neck, her pompadoured head snuggling into his bosom. “Oh, Father! _Father!_” came a muffled, yet artistic wail from somewhere in the region of his upper waistcoat buttons. “How _can_ you? You’ve broken Gerald’s heart. And now you’re breaking mine. Forgive us!” “Miss Lanier!” thundered Caleb, struggling wildly to escape the snake-like closeness of the embrace, “for heaven’s sake won’t you come and—and unwind this person? She’s spoiling my shirt-front. Lord, how I do hate to be pawed!” “Do not touch me! Do not _dare_ to, menial!” commanded the bride, relinquishing her hold, and glaring like a wounded tigress at Anice, who had made no move whatever in response to Caleb’s horrified plea. The visitor drew back from Caleb as though contact with him besmirched her.