"We've got three perfectly charming girls already," Nancy said, "that is, girls that look perfectly charming to me, but a man's point of view on a woman's looks is so different that I thought it would be a good plan to have you boys look over this lot. They are all very high-class and competent girls. The Manning Agency doesn't send any other kind." "Trot 'em along," Billy said; "where are they anyway?" "In the room in front." They were in the smallest of the nest of attic rooms that Nancy planned to make her winter quarters. "Michael receives them, and shows them in here one by one." "You like Michael then?" Dick asked. "I always said his talents were hidden at our place. He has a soul above the job of handy man on a Long Island farm." "He's certainly a handy man here," Nancy said; "I couldn't live without him." "The lucky dog," Billy said, with a side glance at Dick. "You see," Betty explained, "the girl comes in, and we ask her questions. Then if I don't like her I take my pencil from behind my ear, and rap against my palm with it. If Nancy doesn't like her she says, 'You're losing a hairpin, Betty.' If we like her we rub our hands together." "It's a good system," Billy said, "but I don't see why Nancy doesn't take her pencil from behind her ear, or why you don't say to her--" "I wouldn't put a pencil behind my ear," Nancy said scathingly. "And she never loses a hairpin," Betty cut in. "If I approve this system of signals I don't see what you have to complain of. Nancy couldn't get a pencil behind her ear even if she wanted to. It's only a criminal ear like mine that accommodates a pencil." "Speaking of ears," Dick said, looking at his watch, "let's get on with the beauty show. I have to take my mother to see _Boris_ to-night, and she has an odd notion of being on time." "Aw right," Betty said. "Here's Michael. Bring in the first one immediately, Michael." "Sure an' I will that, Miss Pope." The old family servitor of the Thorndykes pulled a deliberate lid over a twinkling left eye by way of acknowledging the presence of his young master. "There's quite a display of thim this time." The first applicant, guided thus by Michael, appeared on the threshold and stood for a moment framed in the low doorway. Seeing two gentlemen present she carefully arranged her expression to meet that contingency. She was a blonde girl with masses of doubtfully tinted hair and no chin, but her eyes were very blue and matched a chain of turquoise beads about her throat, and she radiated a peculiar vitality. Betty took her pencil from behind her ear. "You're losing a hair--" Nancy began, but Dick and Billy exchanged glances and began rubbing their hands together energetically and enthusiastically. "I'm sorry," Nancy said crisply, "but you're a little too tall for our purpose." "And too blonde," Betty added with a bland dismissing smile. "We're looking for a special type of girl."