Evylyn frowned heavily at Hilda, and twisting Julie decisively in her lap, began tearing strips of the handkerchief. "Now--let's see it, dear." Julie held it up and Evelyn pounced. "There!" Julie surveyed her swathed thumb doubtfully. She crooked it; it waggled. A pleased, interested look appeared in her tear-stained face. She sniffled and waggled it again. "You PRECIOUS!" cried Evylyn and kissed her, but before she left the room she levelled another frown at Hilda. Careless! Servants all that way nowadays. If she could get a good Irishwoman--but you couldn't any more--and these Swedes--- At five o'clock Harold arrived and, coming up to her room, threatened in a suspiciously jovial tone to kiss her thirty-five times for her birthday. Evylyn resisted. "You've been drinking," she said shortly, and then added qualitatively, "a little. You know I loathe the smell of it." "Evie," he said after a pause, seating himself in a chair by the window, "I can tell you something now. I guess you've known things haven't beep going quite right down-town." She was standing at the window combing her hair, but at these words she turned and looked at him. "How do you mean? You've always said there was room for more than one wholesale hardware house in town." Her voice expressed some alarm. "There WAS," said Harold significantly, "but this Clarence Ahearn is a smart man." "I was surprised when you said he was coming to dinner." "Evie," he went on, with another slap at his knee, "after January first 'The Clarence Ahearn Company' becomes 'The Ahearn, Piper Company'--and 'Piper Brothers' as a company ceases to exist." Evylyn was startled. The sound of his name in second place was somehow hostile to her; still he appeared jubilant. "I don't understand, Harold." "Well, Evie, Ahearn has been fooling around with Marx. If those two had combined we'd have been the little fellow, struggling along, picking up smaller orders, hanging back on risks. It's a question of capital, Evie, and 'Ahearn and Marx' would have had the business just like 'Ahearn and Piper' is going to now." He paused and coughed and a little cloud of whiskey floated up to her nostrils. "Tell you the truth, Evie, I've suspected that Ahearn's wife had something to do with it. Ambitious little lady, I'm told. Guess she knew the Marxes couldn't help her much here." "Is she--common?" asked Evie. "Never met her, I'm sure--but I don't doubt it. Clarence Ahearn's name's been up at the Country Club five months--no action taken." He waved his hand disparagingly. "Ahearn and I had lunch together to-day and just about clinched it, so I thought it'd be nice to have him and his wife up to-night--just have nine, mostly family. After all, it's a big thing for me, and of course we'll have to see something of them, Evie." "Yes," said Evie thoughtfully, "I suppose we will."