“Tell you what?”

“Somthing has happened.  I see it in your eyes.  No girl who is happy and has not a tradgic story stays at home shut up at a messy desk when everyone is out at the Club playing tennis.  Don’t talk to me about a Career.  A girl’s Career is a man and nothing else.  And especialy after last winter, Bab.  Is—­is it the same one?”

Here I made my fatal error.  I should have said at once that there was no one, just as there had been no one last Winter.  But she looked so intence, sitting there, and after all, why should I not have an amorus experience?  I am not ugly, and can dance well, although inclined to lead because of dansing with other girls all winter at school.  So I lay back on my pillow and stared at the ceiling.

“No.  It is not the same man.”

“What is he like?  Bab, I’m so excited I can’t sit still.”

“It—­it hurts to talk about him,” I observed faintly.

Now I intended to let it go at that, and should have, had not Jane kept on asking Questions.  Because I had had a good lesson the winter before, and did not intend to decieve again.  And this I will say—­I realy told Jane Raleigh nothing.  She jumped to her own conclusions.  And as for her people saying she cannot chum with me any more, I will only say this:  If Jane Raleigh smokes she did not learn it from me.

Well, I had gone as far as I meant to.  I was not realy in love with anyone, although I liked Carter Brooks, and would posibly have loved him with all the depth of my Nature if Sis had not kept an eye on me most of the time.  However——­

Jane seemed to be expecting somthing, and I tried to think of some way to satisfy her and not make any trouble.  And then I thought of the Suitcase.  So I locked the door and made her promise not to tell, and got the whole thing out of the Toy Closet.

“Wha—­what is it?” asked Jane.

I said nothing, but opened it all up.  The Flask was gone, but the rest was there, and Carter’s box too.  Jane leaned down and lifted the trowsers and poked around somewhat.  Then she straitened and said: 

“You have run away and got married, Bab.”

“Jane!”

She looked at me peircingly.

“Don’t lie to me,” she said accusingly.  “Or else what are you doing with a man’s whole Outfit, including his dirty coller?  Bab, I just can’t bare it.”

Well, I saw that I had gone to far, and was about to tell Jane the truth when I heard the sowing Woman in the hall.  I had all I could do to get the things put away, and with Jane looking like death I had to stand there and be fitted for one of Sis’s chiffon frocks, with the low neck filled in with net.

“You must remember, Miss Bab,” said the human Pin cushon, “that you are still a very young girl, and not out yet.”

Jane got up off the bed suddenly.

“I—­I guess I’ll go, Bab,” she said.  “I don’t feel very well.”