Aunt Martha and Clara J. had collaborated on the dinner and it wasa success. Uncle Peter said so, and his appetite is one of thosebrave fighting machines that never says expire till every plate isclean.

I occasionally was so nervous I couldn't eat a bite, but I pleaded a toothache,so they all gave me the sympathetic stare and passed me up.

We went to bed early and I rehearsed mentally the stage businessfor the drama about to be enacted when Bunch crept through thepicket lines.