hunted with cards and cut flowers.
And now she was being hunted by
the phalanx of shirtfronts.
It wouldv surround her, then it
would open to let forth the Little
Heiress and the shirtfnmk.with which
she had agreed to dance. As a rule
she looked very little and like a child
against the man with whom she was
dancing, and when it was time to- tell
him that she could not sit out the!
. next dance with him in the conserva
tory she had to turn up her face to
him to do so. And then, she looked
so little, and so sweet and enticing,
just the way a pansy looks, that, as
one man, the phalanx ground Jts
teeth.
"If I were poor," she thought to
herself, "there might be a- man or
two waiting for me (she had just
seen her face, that was so like a
pansy, in a long mirror), but now It
has to be just shirtfronts."
The face that the Little Heiress
Uked to look at was rather a proud
young, face, that kept itself apart
from the phalanx. When the man
who owned the face thought it was
his duty ta dance with the Little
Heiress he would cut through the
phalanx as a yacht cuts through
water and ask her. And she would
be ready for him with her gladdest
smile; just such a smile as the beau
tiful lady wore when the hero res
cued her from the horrible sea mon
stqr. But gladdest, smiles, and the lit
tle hand on his arm, made very little
impression on Proud Face. When,
for hospitality received, or any rea
son as -good, it was his duty to ask
her to dance, he asked her; when it
was not his duty, he didn't. "He
won't ask me again tonight." sighed
the Little Heiress to herself, "so don't
stop, music don't stop."
But the music stopped, and Proud
Pace, conducting the Little Heiress
to Aunt Katharine (and the advance
guard of the approaching phalanx),
bowed and said it had been a pleasure
and left her. Then the hunted look
came back to her, and before she
could smile upon ier tormentors she
had to deal with a restless tear.
"My dear," said Aunt Katharine,
"somebody has put his foot through
your gown. You had better go to
Therese and get her to put in a
stitch."
The Little Heiress had seen Proud .
Face leave the room, and she thought
that if she hurried she might .over
take him on his way to the smoking-
room, and just overtake him and
pass him, and that would be all. -
She ran up t!h.e stairs.
"Why are you out of breath ?' said
Therese.
"Because I ran," said the Little
Heiress. "Look " Therese knelt at
the Little Heiress' feet and began to
sew the torn flounce to its place. "I
ran after a man!" panted the Little
Heiress.
"it js finished," said Therese pres
ently. "
"Thank you," said the Little Heb
ess. "Tell me that I look like new."
"You look . like a flower," ' said
Therese.
Just as she reached' the foot of the
stair Proud Face came out of the
smoking-room.
"You!" said the Little Heiress.
"I," said Proud Face.
"I've been ta be mended," said the
Little Heiress. "What have you been .
doing?"
MI have been smoking," said Proud
Face, "and now I am going to thank
your aunt for a delightful evening."
"But it's so very early," said the
Little Heiress.
"Not for me," said Proud Face.
"You see, I belong to a great banker,
and if I oversleep be will get some
body else to stand in my shoes."
"Let him,' said the Little Heiress,
defiantly.
"And if. I did' said Proud Face,
"who would pay brother's expenses
through college, and who would keep
the wolf from mother's door?"
"I should think if you need money
so badly," said. the Little Heiress, and,
although she was only perpetuating a ,