"I was telling Mr. Feist a while ago, Bleema, about your ambition to be a writer, not for money, but just for the pleasure in it. What is it you call such writing in your French, honey? Dilytanty?" "Please, mamma, Mr. Feist isn't interested." "Indeed I am, Miss Bleema! More interested than in anything I know of." "She's mad at her papa, Feist, and when my little girl gets mad at her papa there's nothing for him to do but apologize with a big kiss." Suddenly Miss Pelz burst into tears, a hot cascade of them that flowed down over her prettiness. "Why, Bleema!" "Now, now, papa's girl--" The grandmother made a quick gesture of uplifted hands, leaning over toward her, and Miss Pelz hiding her face against that haven of shrunken old bosom. "Oh, grandma, make 'em let me alone!" "Why, Bleema darling, I'm surprised! Ain't you ashamed to act this way in front of Mr. Feist? What'll he think?" "Please, Mrs. Pelz, don't mind me; she's a little upset--that's all." "You--you made me look like--like thirty cents before Lester Spencer--that--that's what you did." "Why, Bleema, do you think that if papa thought that Lester Spencer was worth bothering that pretty red head of yours about that he would--" "There you go again! Always picking on Lester. If you want to know it, next to Norma Beautiful and Allan Hunt he's the biggest money-maker your old corporation has got." "What's that got to do with you?" "And he'll be passing them all in a year or two, you see if he don't--if--if--if only you'd stop picking on him and letting Uncle Sol crowd him out of the pictures and everybody in the company take advantage of him--he--he's grand--he--" "He's a grand conceited fool. If not for the silly matinee women in the world he couldn't make salt." "That shows all you know about him, papa! He's got big ideals, Lester has. He got plans up his sleeve for making over the moving-picture business from the silly films they show nowadays to--" "Yes--to something where no one gets a look-in except Lester Spencer. They're looking for his kind to run the picture business!" "Roody--Bleema--please! Just look at poor grandma! Mr. Feist, I must apologize." "He's a nix, an empty-headed--" "He is--is he? Well, then--well, then--since you force me to it--right here in front of Mr. Feist--Lester Spencer and I got engaged to-day! He's the only man in my life. We're going to be married right off, in time for me to sail for France with the company. He's going to talk to you when he gets back from Horseshoe Bend. We're engaged! That's how much I think of Lester Spencer. That's how much I know he's the finest man in the world. Now then! Now then!" There was a note in Miss Pelz's voice that, in the ensuing silence, seemed actually to ring against the frail crystal. She was on her feet, head up, tears drying. "Blee-Bleema!" "Moms darling, aren't you happy? Isn't it wonderful--moms?"