James acted as cashier for the whole room. Roger, armed with a shillelagh, ran around for every one until the time came for him to mount the stage and show what he knew about an Irish jig. Under the coaching of George Foster's sister, he and his sisters had learned it in such an incredibly short time that they were none too sure of their steps, but they managed to get through it without discredit to themselves or their teacher. Then Mrs. Smith played the accompaniments for a set of familiar Irish songs--"The Harp that once through Tara's Halls," "Erin go Bragh," "Kathleen Mavourneen," "The Wearing of the Green." Dorothy led the choruses, the whole U. S. C., including Dicky, sang their best, and Edward Watkins's tenor rose so pleadingly in "Kathleen Mavourneen" that Mrs. Smith was touched. "I'm going home now," she said to him, "to stay with the baby so that Gertrude can come to the bazaar. You may go with me if you like." Edward did like. He glowed with eagerness. He hardly could carry on an intelligent conversation with Mrs. Smith, so eager was he to test the possibilities of the walk back when he should be escorting Miss Merriam. When they entered the house and he saw her reading before the fire his heart came into his throat, so demure she looked and so lovely. "I've come home, dear, so that you can go," explained Mrs. Smith. "Dr. Watkins will take you back." Gertrude had given Mrs. Smith's escort one startled glance as they entered. "Thank you very much indeed," she answered. "You are always so thoughtful. But I'm not going out again tonight. It's quite out of the question; please don't urge me," and she left the room without a look at the disappointed face of the young doctor. "Now, what does that mean?" he inquired in amazement. "You ought to know." "I don't know. Do you?" "I think I do." "Won't you tell me?" "If you think over any conversations you have had recently about Miss Merriam perhaps it will come to you." "And you won't tell me?" "I may be a wrong interpreter. At any rate I'm not an interferer. Your affairs are your own." "That's a very slender hint you've given me, but I'll do my best with it." His best was of small avail. Miss Merriam would not see him when he called, did not go anywhere where she would be likely to meet him, bowed to him so coldly when she passed him one day going into the house, that he actually did not have the courage to stop her, but rang the bell and asked for Mrs. Smith. The Ethels and Dorothy felt that the part of courtesy was to preserve a civil silence, but they were consumed with curiosity to know just what was going on. Certainly Miss Gertrude was not happy, for she often looked as if she had been weeping, and certainly Dr. Watkins was wretched, for Tom and Della quite immediately reported him as being "so solemn you can't do anything with him." Indeed, at the April Fool party which the Hancocks gave to the U. S. C., he indulged in an outburst that startled them all.