"I don't know what I should have done if you hadn't telephoned just when you did. Wait till I take them to the cook. She simply insisted on kumquats to garnish the salad. Take off your things, dear. I'll be with you in half a second."
Lucretia looked about the warm, luxurious hall. The drawing-room at the left, usually closed, was open now and aglow in artistic lamplight.
"Where am I to go, Bee?" she asked when Beatrice fluttered back again. "My skirt is making a puddle here."
"The sewing-room, Lu dear. I've been so rushed to-day, I'm afraid the children's dresses are all laid out on the bed up there. But I told Martha to start the gas stove. The heat doesn't seem to get up into the sewing-room through the register. You can keep warm there though, if you don't mind the smell of a little gas. Come on up. You don't know how sorry I was not to meet you in town, Lu, with the motor. But, as I explained when you called up, I simply had to tear around all day in the car myself to get an extra accommodating waitress, and of course I would have sent the car to meet you at the station out here, but Henry is due from Chicago at six in town, and if he's met he'll have just time to dress. Dinner is at eight. I'm having fourteen, and am just about crazy! . . . Dear me, Martha didn't
