asures-this mood persisted, became intenser, more imperious in its demand for a sacrifice as the afternoon wore on. When Grant Arkwright came, toward six o'clock, she welcomed him, the

g has been telling me? He s

ive," said she, "it is treachery. You've fallen into a way of talking of your friend Craig behi

o him this afterno

to foot. "Does he say I did?"

held me an hour telling me, though he was late for one

and tell me he had told you?" inquired she, with the vi

e I've no right to tell you. Bu

u tell

ght gr

t me tell you, I don't believe Craig said anything of the kind.

n his teacup, stood looking down at her, his face whi

she was no longer a matrimonial offering she felt profoundly indifferent to eligible men, rejoiced in her freed

ted Grant. "

d the girl haughtily. "And if you can't, why-take yourself of

'd have married you myself. I'm willing

a and laughed until his blood beg

s called a catch, and that you're looking for a suitable husband.... As it's apparently a question of him or me, and as you've admitted you got him by practically proposi

unk even lower than I thought," she said, bringing to

you mea

his frank insolence of insult, the more savage that it was unconscious-and from the oldest and closest of her men friends. If one did not die un

have believed that lips so young and fresh

es. "It's fortunate for me that I have a sense

est, I mean it-ev

eplied she. "You me

ill ma

ill

hy

instance, I happen to be

ng." He snappe

d her brows

if-In fact, he was debating with

evenly, "or you are betraying the confide

ight. You know how he

matt

hy he had never before realized that the sensuous charm of her beauty was irresistible. "Where

Why shouldn't I be frank! I'm sick of cowardly pretenses and lies. I purpose henceforth to be myself-almost." A look

Arkwright. "If you make it necessary

ied she. "He'll probably understand why y

ent of your power o

ace as he was kissing h

's a mere physi

elow the elbows, her hazel eyes and sensuous lips alluring. "You, yourself, never thought of proposing t

d, and the look she had seen in

de Craig you're like an electric fan in competition with a stor

lip. "What a-a DEVIL

ly. "What a lack of initiative. What timidity. What an absence of originality. If I had nothing else against you, Grant, I'd nev

bitterly, "and more courageous about being your own r

n't like me." In her new freedom she looked back tranquilly upon the struggle she was at last emancipated from, and philosophized about it. "What a mistake mothers make

top this nonsense, and

he. "I've chosen. An

got a hold over her? "Or, is it that she doesn't trust me, thinks I'd back down if she were to throw him over and rely on me?" No, there was something positively for Craig in her tone and expression. She was really intending to marry him. Grant sh

. Arkw

, with haughty casque of gray-white hair and ebon staff carried firmly, well forward. Grant bowed. "How d'ye do, Mrs. Bowker?" said he with respectful deference.

halted, gazed round the room; she pointed with the staff to the floor a few

e carved and gilded chair to the indicated spot

he other side of this window, and put the tea-table in front of it. Put two chairs whe

fusion Mrs. Severence entered.

this frightful room a

ld be rehung to suit the new arran

looked sharply at him. He seemed s

coming in a few minu

o, Williams-that will do, Betty. And, Betty, you must go at o

ma'am!" pro

Roxana, how can you bear to

ow, Mamma?" was Roxa

swered th

r. Arkw

I'm just going. I merely look

aff. "To congratulate my gra

a look of surprise.

while Roxana sat holding a lump of

ement to J

y, sir, it is disgraceful that MY granddaughter's name s

. She advanced slowly and gracefully, amid a profound silence. Just as she

onded Margaret smoothly,

y about your being engaged to that-that Josh person-

ma. But not

hantly at Arkwright; he was

with her foolish, pleasant la

t innocently, emptying t

ur engagement, dear

s quite true." Then, suddenly drawing herself up, she wheeled on Grant with

om. As he reached the door he saw her