Chapter IX
"Chasing the penny to its lair is the housewife's favorite indoor sport."
—H. C. of L. proverb no. 9.
A REFRESHING breeze floated into the dining-room window of Mr. and Mrs. Larry's apartment. It passed Teresa Moore's competent square shoulders and touched Mrs. Norton's sleek hair and Claire's pale clear skin. It played on Mrs. Larry's sparkling face. It made the men, including Jimmy Graves, who had come all the way from Kansas City for the great occasion, sit up a little straighter. It quickened Lena's steps, as, with crisp little cap and apron gleaming white in the dim room, she brought in the coffee service.
"For winding up adventures in thrift, I should like to remark that it was some dinner," said Mr. Moore, smiling at his hostess.
"I was thinking the same thing," commented Mr. Norton, "and wondering whether Mrs.
