It was one afternoon not long after the return from Littlehampton that the family were gathered for tea in the garden. Lillian and Bertie were teaching Tommy a new trick. They dearly loved to train Tommy, and he seemed to feel it was their right as well as his privilege, for he usually went through the ordeal with an air of meek submission.
Harry Warren was engaged in making a water color sketch of Anita in a lavender gown, as she sat in a big garden chair. Mrs. Beltrán and Mrs. Manning were placed before the tea table.
"Hims mus' give paw nicey," cried Lillian. "Zen be sojer boy. Give him his gun, Bertie."
Bertie put the stick in place and Lillian stuck a paper cap on Tommy's head. Tommy didn't mind the stick, but hated the cap. From his point of view it did not appear to be an ornament so much as a disgrace. He much preferred to play soldier without the cap. He shouldered his gun and gave his three cheers for the king obediently. Then came the new trick which was to be a salute to the Union Jack. Tommy was required to stand on his hind legs and when Bertie or Lillian waved the flag to wave his forepaws three times. He had come to the point of holding his pose so far as standing on his hind legs was concerned, but to get him to understand when to wave his paws was the problem.
"Hims mus' wave pawdies," coaxed Lillian. "Mus' be nice sojer boy and salute. Bertie, I think you'll have to snap your fingers or do something sudden like that; the poor darling ickle mans doesn't understand. Hims shall have bu'ful sugar," she repeated her coaxing. At the word sugar Tommy pricked up his ears. "Wave 'e paws." Lillian forced the limply hanging members to move up and down while Tommy, under his cocked hat, looked at her with a deprecating and puzzled expression.
Anita, with Hotspur in her lap, sat watching the pair while Harry worked diligently at the sketch. "Is that someone coming in?" he inquired, as voices sounded near.
Anita turned her head. "It is that very, very stout young person whom we met on the street last evening. She is standing at the gate talking to some one; I can't see who it is."
"Oh, that's Elly Fantine," said Harry, going on with his work. "She'll not come in. A little more to the right, please. That's it, thank you."
"What a queer name and why a name so exactly suited to the character?"
Harry laughed. "It isn't her name, really, you know. Hers is Eleanor Frances Teaness, but Lil and Bertie have hit on Elly Fantine. You know their custom is to give everybody and everything a name which they have evolved from their inmost consciousness." He squinted up his eyes as he held off his sketch.