Howard had gone down on purpose to see Eloise, and was wondering how with her chair she could ever be gotten through that mass of people, when she appeared at the door, and, with Howard, wondered how she was to get in.  She might not have accomplished it if he had not come to the rescue with two boys,—­one Tim Biggs, the other a tall, freckled-faced, light-haired fellow whom Jack greeted as Tom, saying, “Can you manage to find a good position for Miss Smith?”

“You bet,” came simultaneously from both boys, and immediately four sharp elbows were being thrust into the sides of the people, who moved all they could and made a passage for Eloise and her chair near the middle of the room, and in a comparatively sheltered place where she could see everything without being jostled.

If she could see everything and everybody, so everybody could see her, and for a moment there was a hush in the large room where every eye was turned upon Eloise, who began to feel very uncomfortable, and wish she had not come.  She had wondered what she ought to wear, and had decided upon black as always suitable.  When she left California her mother had urged her to take a small velvet cape lined with ermine.  It was the only expensive article of dress she had, and she was very choice of it, but to-night she wore it about her shoulders, as later the air was inclined to blow up cool and damp from the sea.  Just as they reached the house Jack stooped to arrange it, throwing it back on either side so that more of the ermine would show.

“There!  You look just like a queen!  Ermine is very becoming to you,” he said, and the people staring at her thought so, too.

Her head was uncovered, and her hair, which waved softly around her forehead, was wound in a flat knot low in her neck, making her look very young, as she sat shrinking from the fire of eyes directed towards her and saw, if she did not hear, the low whispers of the people, many of whom had never seen her before, and were surprised at her extreme youth and beauty.  Ruby Ann was at a distance, trying to sell Mrs. Biggs’s spotted brown and white wrapper to a scrub woman who was haggling over the price which Mrs. Biggs had insisted should be put upon it.  That good woman was busy in the supper-room, or she would have made her way at once to Eloise, who, as she looked over the sea of faces confronting her, saw no one she knew except Howard Crompton, who had been very uncomfortable in the heat and air of the place until she came, and with her fresh, fair young face seemed at once to change the whole atmosphere.  Jack, who was not used to much exertion and had found even Eloise’s light weight a trifle heavy, especially up the hill near the Rummage house, was sweating at every pore, and fanning himself with a palm leaf he had bought at the entrance.

“By George!” he said to Howard, who was standing by them.  “It’s hotter than a furnace in here.  I believe I’ll have to go outside and cool off a minute, if you’ll stay and keep guard over Miss Smith.”