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 "What's eatin' you, ma? What do'you think I'm goin' to do?"

"All these preparations, Minnie. I thought—maybe"

Minnie's explosive laughter awakened Nettie who raised her crumpled face from the pillow and blinked stupidly. But she wasn't grouchy when she spoke to them. "What's so funny at this hour of the mornin'?" she asked, smothering her yawn.

"Ma's a scream, Net. Just because I'm puttin' on clean underwear in the middle of the week and some o' that talcum powder Els brought me, she thinks me and Al are goin' to run off and get married."

"I didn't say so, Minnie Flynn!"

"Well, you looked it anyhow. And you certainly hinted at it. Where d'you put my new stockings, ma?"

"There in the other room, dearie, I was showing 'em to your pa last night. He thought they was somethin' swell."

"Sure they are," Minnie answered casually, setting the can of talcum back on the washstand and reaching for her shirt. "Al's got good taste. He wouldn't buy a girl nothin' that wasn't up to snuff. Al's not that kind of a fellow. He would of bought me two pair, if I'd of let him."

"They don't look as if they'd last very long, Minnie, they're so thin. I wish I could put a darn in the heels for protection."

"Oh, ma, what's the use of havin' something new if you fix 'em up to look old and wore before you've even had 'em on? Of course I won't. Do you suppose if I undress before a lot of stuck-up acktresses, like Al said I would, that I'd want 'em to see that I got darned stockings on, the first crack out of the box?"

"I should say not!" Nettie chimed in. "Minnie's perfectly right, ma. Just as Al says, you got to put on a little side to make people respect you."

"Well, you know how it worked out, even with Al," came