17

in his arms, and carries them off to be&. He sits awhile by
the children, anfl clumsily unflressce then, uorricfl by the
carelessness of thcir”mother” who leaves him as econ as she

shows him the room.

It so hayyens that Lily Belle has beguu to blackmail
her mistress. Birflie, who is almast broke gives her what she
his, but the colored girl says it is not nough, ana Biraie
yromiece her more later. Meanwhile, left alone, Dickie has

consumea all cf the firink he can find on the eiée beard, cue

the Men from Canada coming out, fiiccovers him swallowing it

down by the wholesale, anc in a slight titsy coniiticn. His

uncle, as Birdie is about to come in shoves Dick out into the

hall, to hide his condition from his wiie. flick, glee to escape

seized his hat and departs.
Alene with Birdie, the men from Canada ta kc about the

children's future. She is mild to be ria of him, but he futuously

continues to talk about hiex "his beautiful kids". He aces

not think they at all receumle their photograyh. Takes it out

and looks at photo. He begins to puzzle over the fact

that Birdie kxixuxitten Dickie hafi announced each time the birth

of a boy. Patrice~— Q-— Biraie laughs hysterically, and

says thatxvas u fib. whey just want & écar uncle to think

they hua boys. "Uncle" assures her solemly that he prefers

girls and there was no need for the aeception. However, it

is a small matter. He begins to brag about the cleverness

of the chilarcn. He has never seen a child of Eetrice'e

age --~-she is supposea to be not quite cue, running about

and talking as she does. To change the subject, as she is