All this time it never occurred to either of the Wellington girls, that the stranger might be having an equally interesting time analyzing and cataloging them, and their characteristics. Egotism has various methods of taking care of her own. In the big, leathered rest room, a comfortable corner was available, and here our quartette soon ensconced themselves. Mrs. Weatherbee really looked quite human, Judith was deciding, her Oxford tailored suit being sufficiently de luxe to be spelled “tailleur.” It was nobby, to take up a word from the English allies, and not give all the credit to the French. “Now, my dears,” spoke the model, “I have a plan to unfold to you. Helka wishes to stay in some private place, that is, she does not wish to get into any very public place.” She stopped, for Helka was silently inferring so much that her attitude demanded attention. She was sort of shaking her head and biting her red lips and flashing her unclassified eyes. “Not a lovely hotel?” asked Jane in surprise. She had really counted on showing this little stranger life in a big New York hotel. “Oh, no, please not. No hotel. I would not like that. There are so many—men and women.” Helka was almost shuddering, and Judith instantly sensed the mystery promised about the Polish girl’s antecedents. Jane, acting in the capacity of hostess, immediately agreed to shun all hotels. “I wanted to tell you,” said Mrs. Weatherbee, “that for the present I have arranged with a former member of the staff of Wellington, a retired chaperon, to take you young ladies in her charge in New York. As Miss Allen had informed me she wished to stay in the city for some days, I thought it my duty to see that you were all safely—chaperoned.” She smiled humanly, Judith admitted, but visions of a retired chaperon did not exactly forecast a very jolly good time. Even a working “nurse maid,” as the attendants were sometimes facetiously styled, would be better than one who was old enough to be retired. Jane was struggling with similar fears. “She has quite an apartment,” went on the matron. “In fact, she has been entertaining some social service students who take care of themselves in her apartment, and I thought that would be just the thing for you three little girls.” “I am sure it will be!” Jane exclaimed, now seeing light through the clouds. “I have always longed to try housekeeping as the college settlement girls do, and it may give us valuable experience.” “Oh, glorious!” exclaimed Judith. “I vote to be—parlor maid.” “It would be very nice,” ventured Helka, “if we could have a very small house and our own—piano.” “Oh, of course, Helka, dear,” Mrs. Weatherbee hurried to inject. “You must have access to a piano. You cannot be deprived of your music.”