Tick-Tock " Talk 



very fond of company; I mean the right 

 kind of company — congenial com- 

 pany — and it is not always with those 

 who talk most that we spend our 

 happiest hours. The clock talks a lot 

 to be sure, but is so quietly unobtru- 

 sive about it that it gets not on your 

 nerves. It is the only being I know 

 that can monopolize a conversation — I 

 mean talk all the time, even while you 

 yourself are talking — and not be rude 

 about it. 



I suppose there isn't really much 

 excuse for a fire this evening. The 

 doors are open, but the sun is setting 

 earlier these days than it did six weeks 

 ago. There is more time therefore now 

 to use that davenport before paying 

 our final respects for the night to the 

 clock and the china cat. The air in 

 fact is cool, or at least I claim it is. 

 You see I seize upon any sort of half- 

 way plausible excuse to work that 

 Cape Cod lighter. I forgot to say 

 before that one of those inventions of 

 [109] 



