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never quite know this giddy and alluring lady； no matter how long it pleased
her to play with him。 But he mightily wanted her to keep on playing with him。
〃Put what question？〃 he said； breathlessly。
〃As you are a new neighbor of mine and of my family；〃 she returned； speaking
slowly and with a cross…examiner's severity； 〃I think it would be well for me
to know at once whether you are already walking out with any young lady or
not。 Mr。 Sheridan； think well！ Are you spoken for？〃
〃Not yet；〃 he gasped。 〃Are you？〃
〃NO！〃 she cried； and with that they both laughed again； and the pastime
proceeded； increasing both in its gaiety and in its gravity。
Observing its continuance； Mr。 Robert Lamhorn； opposite； turned from a lively
conversation with Edith and remarked covertly to Sibyl that Miss Vertrees was
〃starting rather picturesquely with Jim。〃 And he added； languidly； 〃Do you
suppose she WOULD？〃
For the moment Sibyl gave no sign of having heard him； but seemed interested
in the clasp of a long 〃rope〃 of pearls； a loop of which she was allowing to
swing from her fingers； resting her elbow upon the table and following with
her eyes the twinkle of diamonds and platinum in the clasp at the end of the
loop。 She wore many jewels。 She was pretty； but hers was not the kind of
prettiness to be loaded with too sumptuous accessories； and jeweled
head…dresses are dangerousthey may emphasize the wrongness of the wearer。
〃I said Miss Vertrees seems to be starting pretty strong with Jim；〃 repeated
Mr。 Lamhorn。
〃I heard you。〃 There was a latent discontent always somewhere in her eyes； no
matter what she threw upon the surface of cover it； and just now she did not
care to cover it； she looked sullen。 〃Starting any stronger than you did with
Edith？〃 she inquired。
〃Oh； keep the peace！〃 he said； crossly。 〃That's off； of course。〃
〃You haven't been making her see it this eveningprecisely；〃 said Sibyl；
looking at him steadily。 〃You've talked to her for〃
〃For Heaven's sake；〃 he begged； 〃keep the peace！〃
〃Well； what have you just been doing？！〃
〃SH！〃 he said。 〃Listen to your father…in…law。〃
Sheridan was booming and braying louder than ever； the orchestra having begun
to play 〃The Rosary；〃 to his vast content。
〃I COUNT THEM OVER； LA…LA…TUM…TEE…DUM；〃 he roared； beating the measures with
his fork。 〃EACH HOUR A PEARL； EACH PEARL TEE…DUM…TUM…DUMWhat's the matter
with all you folks？ Why'n't you SING？ Miss Vertrees； I bet a thousand
dollars YOU sing！ Why'n't〃
〃Mr。 Sheridan；〃 she said； turning cheerfully from the ardent Jim； 〃you don't
know what you interrupted！ Your son isn't used to my rough ways； and my
soldier's wooing frightens him； but I think he was about to say something
important。〃
〃I'll say something important to him if he doesn't！〃 the father threatened；
more delighted with her than ever。 〃By gosh！ if I was his ageor a widower
right NOW〃
〃Oh； wait！〃 cried Mary。 〃If they'd only make less noice！ I want Mrs。
Sheridan to hear。〃
〃She'd say the same；〃 he shouted。 〃She'd tell me I was mighty slow if I
couldn't get ahead o' Jim。 Why； when I was his age〃
〃You must listen to your father；〃 Mary interrupted； turning to Jim； who had
grown read again。 〃He's going to tell us how； when he was your age； he made
those two blades of grass grow out of a teacupand you could see for yourself
he didn't get them out of his sleeve！〃
At that Sheridan pounded the table till it jumped。 〃Look here； young lady！〃
he roared。 〃Some o' these days I'm either goin' to slap youor I'm goin' to
kiss you！〃
Edith looked aghast； she was afraid this was indeed 〃too awful；〃 but Mary
Vertrees burst into ringing laughter。
〃Both！〃 she cried。 〃Both！ The one to make me forget the other！〃
〃But which〃 he began； and then suddenly gave forth such stentorian
trumpetings of mirth that for once the whole table stopped to listen。 〃Jim；〃
he roared； 〃if you don't propose to that girl to…night I'll send you back to
the machine…shop with Bibbs！〃
And Bibbsdown among the retainers by the sugar Pump Works； and watching Mary
Vertrees as a ragged boy in the street might watch a rich little girl in a
gardenBibbs heard。 He heardand he knew what his father's plans were now。
Mrs。 Vertrees 〃sat up〃 for her daughter； Mr。 Vertrees having retired after a
restless evening； not much soothed by the society of his Landseers。 Mary had
taken a key； insisting that he should not come for her and seeming confident
that she would not lack for escort； nor did the sequel prove her confidence
unwarranted。 But Mrs。 Vertrees had a long vigil of it。
She was not the woman to make herself easyno servant had ever seen her in a
wrapperand with her hair and dress and her shoes just what they had been
when she returned from the afternoon's call； she sat through the slow night
hours in a stiff little chair under the gaslight in her own room； which was
directly over the 〃front hall。〃 There； book in hand； she employed the time in
her own reminiscences； though it was her belief that she was reading Madame de
Remusat's。
Her thoughts went backward into her life and into her husband's； and the
deeper into the past they went； the brighter the pictures they brought her
and there is tragedy。 Like her husband； she thought backward because she did
not dare think forward definitely。 What thinking forward this troubled couple
ventured took the form of a slender hope which neither of them could have
borne to hear put in words； and yet they had talked it over； day after day；
from the very hour when they heard Sheridan was to build his New House next
door。 Forso quickly does any ideal of human behavior become an antique
their youth was of the innocent old days； so dead！ of 〃breeding〃 and
〃gentility；〃 and no craft had been more straitly trained upon them than that
of talking about things without mentioning them。 Herein was marked the most
vital difference between Mr。 and Mrs。 Vertrees and their big new neighbor。
Sheridan； though his youth was of the same epoch； knew nothing of such
matters。 He had been chopping wood for the morning fire in the country
grocery while they were still dancing。
It was after one o'clock when Mrs。 Vertrees heard steps and the delicate
clinking of the key in the lock； and then； with the opening of the door；
Mary's laugh； and 〃Yesif you aren't afraidto…morrow！〃
The door closed； and she rushed up…stairs； bringing with her a breath of cold
and bracing air into her mother's room。 〃Yes；〃 she said； before Mrs。 Vertrees
could speak； 〃he brought me home！〃
She let her cloak fall upon the bed； and； drawing an old red…velvet
rocking…chair forward； sat beside her mother after giving her a light pat
upon the shoulder and a hearty kiss upon the cheek。
〃Mamma！〃 Mary exclaimed； when Mrs。 Vertrees had expressed a hope that she had
enjoyed the evening and had not caught cold。 〃Why don't you ask me？〃
This inquiry obviously made her mother uncomfortable。 〃I don't〃 she
faltered。 〃Ask you what； Mary？〃
〃How I got along and what he's like。〃
〃Mary！〃
〃Oh； it isn't distressing！〃 said Mary。 〃And I got along so fast〃 She broke
off to laugh； continuing then； 〃But that's the way I went at it； of course。
We ARE in a hurry； aren't we？〃
〃I don't know what you mean；〃 Mrs。 Vertrees insisted； shaking her head
plaintively。
〃Yes；〃 said Mary； 〃I'm going out in his car with him to…morrow afternoon； and
to the theater the next nightbut I stopped it there。 You see； after you
give the first push； you must leave it to them while YOU pretend to run away！〃
〃My dear； I don't know what to〃
〃What to make of anything！〃 Mary finished for her。 〃So that's all right！ Now
I'll tell you all about it。 It was gorgeous and deafening and tee…total。 We
could have lived a year on it。 I'm not good at figures； but I calculated that
if we lived six months on poor old Charlie and Ned and the station…wagon and
the Victoria； we could manage at least twice as long on the cost of the
'house…warming。' I think the orchids alone would have lasted us a couple of
months。 There they were； before me； but I couldn't steal 'em and sell 'em；
and sowell； so I did what I could！〃
She leaned back and laughed reassuringly to her troubled mother。 〃It seemed
to be a successwhat I could；〃 she said； clasping her hands behind her neck
and stirring the rocker to motion as a rhythmic accompaniment to her
narrative。 〃The girl Edith and her sister…in…law； Mrs。 Roscoe Sheridan； were
too anxious about the effect of things on me。 The father's worth a bushel of
both of them； if they knew it。 He's what he is。 I like him。〃 She paused
reflectively； continuing； 〃Edith's 'interested' in that Lamhorn boy； he's
good…looking and not stupid； but I think he's〃 She interrupted herself with
a cheery outcry： 〃Oh！ I mustn't be calling him names！ If he