CHAPTER 12

deep books with long words in them. What was that word we——"

"Well, these books are all scientific," insisted Alex, glancing at her impatiently. 

"This fellow has worked out the whole thing. It's up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will take control."

"We've got to beat them down," whispered Lily, glaring fiercely at the fervent sun.

"You ought to live in California—" began Miss Taylor, but Alex interrupted her by shifting heavily in his chair.

"This idea is that we're Nordics. I am, and you are and you are and——" After a brief hesitation, he included Lily with a slight nod and she winked at me again. "—and we've

produced all the things that make civilization—oh, science and art and all that. Do you see?"

There was something pitiable in his concentration as if his complacency, more acute than before, was no longer enough for him. When, almost immediately, the telephone

rang inside and the butler left the porch, Lily seized the momentary interruption and leaned toward me.

"I'll tell you a family secret," she whispered eagerly. "It's about the butler's nose. Do you want to hear about the butler's nose?"

"That's why I came over tonight."

"Well, he wasn't always a butler; he used to be the silver polisher for some people in

New York who had a silver service for two hundred people. He had to polish it from morning till