"
"Why, Elsie," said her father, banteringly, "you doubted the other
day whether Mrs. Methuselah's age would ever sober you; and yet I
think that good old lady would have looked more genial on
Thanksgiving Day. What is the matter?"
"I was thinking of the sermon," she said.
Amid the comic elevation of eyebrows, George said slyly:
"Tell us the text."
Overwhelmed with confusion, she darted a reproachful glance at him
and muttered:
"I did not say anything about the text."
"Well, tell us about the sermon then," laughed James.
"No," said Elsie, sharply. "I'll quote you a text: 'Eat, drink,
and be merry,' and let me alone."
They saw that for some reason she could not bear teasing, and that
such badinage troubled Mr. Stanhope also. George came gallantly to
the rescue, and the dinner-party grew so merry that Elsie thawed
perceptibly and Stanhope was beguiled into several witty speeches.
At each one Elsie opened her eyes in wider and growing
appreciation. At last, when they rose from their coffee, she come
to the surprising conclusion--
"Why, he is not stupid and bad-looking after all.
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