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 *man, Uncle Joe. Shall I call her?" she answered.

"If you will, dear. I'd like to speak with her a moment," said he.

The ladies were deep in the intricacies of a new lace pattern, and though Miss Kimono rose obediently to the summons Josephine delivered, Mrs. Merriman for once forgot the requirements of etiquette and followed without invitation. But Mr. Smith was now too excited to notice this, and so it happened that one of the old gentlewoman's wishes was gratified without anybody's connivance. "May I be there to see," she had said, and here she was.

"Miss Smith, what is your Christian name?" demanded the master of the house.

"Desire Parkinson, Mr. Smith," glancing toward the letters lying on his table, replied the nurse. They flung their brief remarks at each other, as though they were tossing balls, thus:


 * "That is an uncommon name, Miss—Smith."

mutual surname is common."
 * "As uncommon, I suppose, as our