There was no sound from upstairs. Mr. Wheeler got his hat and went out,

calling to the dog. Jim came in whistling, looked in and said: "Hello,

Les," and disappeared. He sat in the growing twilight and cursed himself

for a fool. After all, where had he been heading? A man couldn't eat his

cake and have it. But he was resentful, too; he stressed rather hard his

own innocence, and chose to ignore the less innocent impulse that lay

behind it.

After a half hour or so he heard some one descending and Dick

Livingstone appeared in the hall. He called to him, and Dick entered the

room. Before he sat down he lighted a cigarette and in the flare of

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the match Leslie got an impression of fatigue and of something new, of

trouble. But his own anxieties obsessed him.

"She's told you about it, I suppose?"

"I was a fool, of course. But it was only a matter of a few flowers

and some afternoon calls. She's a fine woman, Livingstone, and she is

lonely. The women have given her a pretty cold deal since the Clark

story. They copy her clothes and her walk, but they don't ask her into

their homes."

"Isn't the trouble more fundamental than that, Ward? I was thinking

about it upstairs. Nina was pretty frank. She says you've had your good

time and want to settle down, and that she is young and now is her only

chance. Later on there may be children, you know. She blames herself,

too, but she has a fairly clear idea of how it happened."

"Do you think she'll go back home?"

"She promised she would."

They sat smoking in silence. In the dining-room Annie was laying the

table for dinner, and a most untragic odor of new garden peas began

to steal along the hall. Dick suddenly stirred and threw away his

cigarette.

"I was going to talk to you about something else," he said, "but this is

hardly the time. I'll get on home." He rose. "She'll be all right. Only

I'd advise very tactful handling and--the fullest explanation you can

make."

"What is it? I'd be glad to have something to keep my mind occupied.

It's eating itself up just now."

"It's a personal matter."

Ward glanced up at him quickly.

"Yes?"

"Have you happened to hear a story that I believe is going round? One

that concerns me?"

"Well, I have," Leslie admitted. "I didn't pay much attention. Nobody is

taking it very seriously."




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