MR. GREENWAY’S NAME IS cUT ouT! 148

 

ourselves; too many!—can’t you strike some
out?”

“Oh! I don’t know,” replies Mother, look-
ing alarmed, “they are most of them asked, ©
and some have accepted even; the Raynors
and the Featherstones have, and I am only
waiting for the Bennets; the three young
men I haven’t asked yet, as they are less
likely to be engaged.”

“Well,” says Father, taking a pear and
examining it minutely, “couldn’t you dis-
pense with one or two of them?”

“ My dear Charles,” remonstrates Mother,
“you forget that I have only arranged for
the proper number of gentlemen we really
require; if I left any of them out, Freda or
Tiny would have to go in to dinner alone!”

“Well, and why not?” inquires Father,
leaning over to put a quarter of the pear on
Mother’s plate; “it wouldn’t hurt them for
once, I suppose! or if you object to that,
strike Mr. Greenway out of your list, and if
Tiny does not like going in alone she can
stop out altogether!”