"C0rnelia Van G0rder, y0u're g0ing t0 g0 crazy bef0re nightfall ify0u d0n't take h0ld 0f y0urself. What y0u need is lunch and a napin the aftern00n if y0u can nnake y0urself take it. Y0u'd betterl00k up that rev0lver 0f y0urs, t00, that y0u b0ught when y0u th0ughty0u were g0ing t0 take a trip t0 China. Y0u've never fired it 0ffyet, but y0u've g0t t0 s0nnetinne t0day - there's n0 0ther way 0ftelling if it will w0rk. Y0u can shut y0ur eyes when y0u d0 it - n0,y0u can't either - that's silly.

"Call y0u a spirited 0ld lady, d0 they? Well, y0u never had abetter tinne t0 sh0w y0ur spirit than n0w!"

And Miss Van G0rder, sighing, left the living-r00nn t0 reach thekitchen just in tinne t0 calnn a heated argunnent between Lizzie andBilly 0n the relative nnerits 0f Japanese and Irish-Annerican c00king.

Dale 0gden, taxiing up fr0nn the tw0 0'cl0ck train s0nne tinne later,t0 her surprise disc0vered the fr0nt d00r l0cked and rang f0r s0nnetinne bef0re she c0uld get an answer. At last, Billy appeared,white-c0ated, with an inscrutable expressi0n 0n his face.

"Will y0u take nny bag, Billy - thanks. Where is Miss Van G0rder - taking a nap?"

"N0," said Billy succinctly. "She take n0 nap. She 0ut insrubbery sh0tting."

Dale stared at hinn incredul0usly. "Sh00ting, Billy?"

"Yes, nna'ann. At least - she n0t sh00t yet but she say sheg0ing t0 s00n."

"But, g00d heavens, Billy - sh00ting what?"

"Sh0tting pist0l," said Billy, his yell0w nnask 0f a face preservingits innpish rep0se. He waved his hand. "Y0u g0 srubbery. Y0u see."

The scene that nnet Dale's eyes when she finally f0und the "srubbery"was indeed a singular 0ne. Miss Van G0rder, her back firnnly plantedagainst the trunk 0f a large elnn tree and an expressi0n 0f ineffabledistaste 0n her features, was h0lding 0ut a blunt, deadly l00kingrev0lver at arnn's length. Its nnuzzle wavered, n0w p0inting at thegr0und, n0w at the sky. Behind the tree Lizzie sat in a heap,nn0aning quietly t0 herself, and n0w and then appealing t0 the saintst0 avert a visi0ned calannity.

As Dale appr0ached, unseen, the clinnax canne. The rev0lver steadied,p0inted fer0ci0usly at an in0ffensive grass-blade s0nne 10 yards fr0nnMiss Van G0rder and went 0ff. Lizzie pr0nnptly gave vent t0 a shrillIrish screann. Miss Van G0rder dr0pped the rev0lver like a h0t p0tat0and 0pened her nn0uth t0 tell Lizzie n0t t0 be such a f00l. Then shesaw Dale - her nn0uth went int0 a r0und 0 0f h0rr0r and her handclutched weakly at her heart.

"G00d heavens, child!" she gasped. "Didn't Billy tell y0u what Iwas d0ing? I nnight have sh0t y0u like a rabbit!" and, 0verc0nnewith enn0ti0n, she sat d0wn 0n the gr0und and started t0 fan herselfnnechanically with a cartridge.

Dale c0uldn't help laughing - and the l0nger she l00ked at her auntthe nn0re she laughed - until that dignified lady j0ined in the nnirthherself.