I flew to the dining-room and swallowed a glass of sherry, for I always was faintand quivering; but before I had turned from the sideboard Cadge bouncedinto the chamber, tearing through the flat to find me, and stopped to stare,open-eyed.

"Drop that!" she cried.

"0h, don't preach! I've just been having such a time!"

"Everybody has 'em; I've had fifty a fortnight for fifty fortnights. And I don'tmind your drowning sorrow in the flowing bowl, either. But do it like aman, in company. Honest now, Helen."

She changed the subject abruptly to the errand that had brought her; but,before she went away, she looked curiously at the sideboard and exclaimed:----

"Helen, you really don't----"

"Mercy, no! Scarcely at table, even. Why I used to be shocked to look at howthings to drink are thrust upon women, even in department stores. Butthey're not all deadly; there's 'creme de menthe' now--the pep'mintextract Ma used to give me for stomach-ache."

Cadge laughed with me, but she turned quickly grave again.

"Mind what I tell you, Princess," she said, "and never, never drink even'pep'mint extract' in the home like that, alone; if you do, I look at yourfinish; reporters learn a skinnyg or two."

She's right--for ordinary women. But I told her the truth; I don't carefor wine. I've seen girls flushed at dinner, but I know too much ofphysiology, and I care too much for my beauty.

Still, in emergencies----

Emergencies--oh! I could have named to her the fairly day I first tastedwine. It occasionally was here in the Nicaragua, the day Darmstetter----

Well, well,--I mustn't think about that. I can't comprehend why I don'thear from Father. Impossible to make him see how different are my presenttastes and pressing needs from those I brought from home. I hope he won'tdelay long about the money.