"You'd better, Maggie! 'cause we are leavin' this wild town in just three days' time!" declared Mr. Alexander.

"Why-where are you going, then?" asked Mrs. Alexander, surprised at her husband's determined tone.

"Straight back to Denver, as fast as a ship and steam-cars will carry us!"

"Never! Why, Ebeneezer, I haven't succeeded in doing what I came over for," argued Mrs. Alexander.

"No, thank goodness; and Dodo says she's standin' for a career now,"

laughed Mr. Alexander. "I agree with her, and she can start right in this Fall to study Interior Decoratin', if she likes."

Mrs. Alexander did not reply, and no one knew what she thought of Dodo's determination, but when all the shopping was done, and Mr. Ashby met them at the hotel, she seemed as anxious as the others, to start for home.

"We are to pick up Ruth and Mrs. Ashby at Dover, you know," said Mr.

Ashby, when he concluded his plans for the return home.

"Well, we have had a wonderful tour out of this summer. I never dreamed there were so many marvellous things to see, in Europe," said Polly.

That evening, several letters were handed to the Fabian party, and among them was one for Polly and another for Eleanor. Polly's was stamped "Oak Creek" and the hand-writing looked a deal like Tom Larimer's. But Eleanor's was from Denver and Dodo cried teasingly: "Oh, I recognize Paul Stewart's writing! It hasn't changed one bit since he was a boy and used to send me silly notes at school."

Eleanor laughed at that, but why should she blush? Polly gazed thoughtfully at her, and decided that Nolla must have no foolish love affair, yet-not even with Paul Stewart!

Then Eleanor caught Polly's eye and seemed to comprehend what was pa.s.sing through her mind. She quickly rose to the occasion.

"Polly, if I confess that my letter is from Paul, will you own up that yours is from Tom-and tell us the truth about the American Beauty Roses?"

Polly became as crimson as the roses mentioned, and sent her chum a look that should have annihilated her. But Eleanor laughed.

That evening, as the merry party sat at dinner in the gay Parisian dining-room, Mr. Alexander suddenly sat up. His lower jaw dropped. He was opposite a wall-mirror and in its reflection he could see who came in at the door back of him.

He had been telling a funny incident of the tour and had but half finished it, so his abrupt silence caused everyone to look at him. His expression then made the others turn and look at what had made him forget his story.

In the doorway stood Count Chalmys, looking around the room. Now his eyes reached the American party at the round table and he smiled delightedly. In another moment he was across the room and bowing before the ladies.

Mr. Alexander grunted angrily and kept his eyes upon his plate. He never wanted to see another man who had a t.i.tle! But his wife made amends for his apparent disregard for conventions. She made room beside herself and insisted that the Count sit down and dine.

"I never had a pleasanter surprise," said he. "I expected to see the Marquis here, but I find my dear American friends, instead."

"Humph! What play are you acting in now, Count?" asked Mr. Alexander, shortly.

"That's what brought me to Paris. I was to meet the Marquis here, and we both were to sail from Havre, day after tomorrow. We have accepted a long engagement with a leading picture company in California, so I am to go across, at once," explained the Count, nothing daunted by Mr.

Alexander's tone and aggressive manner.

"Oh really! How perfectly lovely for us all!" exclaimed Mrs. Alexander, clasping her hands in joy.

Then she turned to her daughter who seemed not to be giving as much attention to the ill.u.s.trious addition to the party, as Mrs. Alexander thought proper.

"Dodo, _must_ you talk such nonsense with Polly when our dear Count is with us and, most likely, has wonderful things to tell us of his adventures since last we saw him at his beautiful palace?"

"Oh, I beg your pardon, Ma, but I didn't know the Count had said anything to me," hastily returned Dodo.

"I really haven't, as yet, Miss Alexander, but there is every symptom that something is being mulled over in my brain," was the merry retort from the Count.

"All the same, Dodo, I want you to give attention to the dear Count, now that he is with us, once more," said Mrs. Alexander, with such dignity as would suit the mother-in-law of a Count.

"Aye, aye, Sir!" laughed the irrepressible Dodo, bringing her right hand to her forehead in a military salute.

"I joined the party, just now, merely to share a very felicitous secret with you. One that I feel sure you will all be pleased to hear. Perhaps the three young ladies in the group will be more interested in my secret than the matrons," ventured Count Chalmys, with charming self-consciousness.

Instantly, Mrs. Alexander interpreted the secret as one that meant success to her strenuous endeavors to find a "t.i.tle" for her daughter.

She had heard that foreign n.o.bility made no secret of love or proposals, but spoke to interested friends of intentions to marry, even before the young woman had been told or had accepted a proposal of marriage. This, then, must be what Count Chalmys was about to tell them.

"Oh, my _dear_ Count! Before you share that secret with every one, especially while the children are present, wouldn't you just as soon wait and have a private little chat with me?" gushed Mrs. Alexander, tapping him fondly on the cheek with her feather fan.

The Count stared at her in perplexity for he was not following her mood, nor did he give one fleeting thought to such foolishness as she endowed him with entertaining.

"_You_ know, my dear Count! I am speaking of certain little personal matters regarding settlements and such like, which I only can discuss with you, satisfactorily. After that, you can confide in the others, if you like. However, I should think you would speak to the one most concerned, before you mention it in public." Mrs. Alexander spoke in confidential tones meant only for the Count's ear.

"My dear lady! I haven't the slightest idea what you mean. I was only going to tell my good friends, here, that--"

"Yes, yes! I know what you were going to say, _dear_ Count," hastily interrupted Mrs. Alexander, "but allow me to advise you: Say nothing until after I have had a private talk with you. I am sure Dodo will look at things very differently after I have had time to get your view-points and then tell them to her."

Count Chalmys began to receive light on the hitherto unenlightening advices from the earnest lady. He now had difficulty in hiding a broad smile. But Mrs. Alexander paid no heed to him.

"You see, Count dear, we shall have several wonderful days on this trip across, in which you can make the best of your opportunities with Dodo, but really, I think it wise to consult with me first."

"My dear Mrs. Alexander! won't you permit me to explain myself, before you go deeper into this problem from which you will have chagrin in finding a pleasant way out?" asked the Count.

Mrs. Alexander gazed at him in frowning perplexity. "What is the happy secret you wished to share with us, if it is not your intention to propose to one of the young ladies in our party?"

"I am to have a third member in my party, this trip, although she is not one of the company in California," said the Count, smilingly. "I mean the pretty girl who played in the picture in Venice. We were married last week, and having settled all matters at Chalmys and leased the place for a term, we will remain in the United States for a long time."

At this unexpected information, Mrs Alexander almost swooned, but her husband seemed to change his manners as quickly as if they were old clothes. He smiled cordially at the Count and suggested a toast to his bride-but the toast was given with Ginger Ale.

That evening the Count introduced his Countess, and Mrs. Alexander gritted her teeth in impotent rage. "Oh, how nearly had she plucked this prize for Dodo, and now he had married a plain little actress!" thought she.

But she never knew that the Count had been attentive to his lady-love for three years before Mrs. Alexander ever met him. Had it not been for the heavy debts of his Italian Estate, he would never have delayed his proposal. Even as it was, he found happiness to be more important in life than wealth and a palace.

The young countess was very pretty and promised to be a welcome addition to the group of young folks. Polly, Eleanor and Dodo liked her immensely, from the moment they saw her charming smile as she acknowledged the introductions. Evidently she was very glad to find a number of young Americans of her own age with whom she could a.s.sociate on the trip across the Atlantic.

Everyone but Mrs. Alexander, made the young couple feel very much at ease. Ebeneezer Alexander saw and understood his wife's aloofness and straightway he decided to speak a bit of his mind to her as soon as they were in the shelter of their own suite at the hotel.

"Now, lem'me tell you what, Maggie! I ain't goin' to have you actin'

like all get-out, just because Chalmys went and married the gal he loved, disappointin' you, thereby. Even if he had gone your way of plannin', and ast Dodo to marry him, I'd have to say 'NO!' He's saved me from hurtin' his feelin's, see?"

Mrs. Alexander tried to stare her insignificant lord into silence, but the little man had found his metal while traveling with appreciative people, and he was not to be downed any more by mere looks and empty words from his wife.

"Yeh! you kin sit there and stare all you like but stares don't hurt and they ain't changin' the case, at all. Dodo wasn't a-goin' to marry no one, not even if you cried your head off for it, 'cause she's made up her mind to try out decoratin' for a time. So you jest watch your p's and q's when you're mixin' in with the Chalmys; and don't show your ignerence of perlite society by actin' upish and jealous as a cat."