How are you, Mrs.Dryfoos?
How do you do, Mrs.Mandel, Miss Christine, Mela, Aunt Hitty, and all the folks?
How you wuz ?" He shook hands gayly all round, and took a chair next the old lady, whose hand he kept in his own, and left Conrad to introduce Beaton.

But he would not let the shadow of Beaton's solemnity fall upon the company.

He began to joke with Mrs.Dryfoos, and to match rheumatisms with her, and he included all the ladies in the range of appropriate pleasantries.

"I've brought Mr.Beaton along to-night, and I want you to make him feel at home, like you do me, Mrs.Dryfoos.

He hasn't got any rheumatism to speak of; but his parents live in Syracuse, and he's a kind of an orphan, and we've just adopted him down at the office.