Younger Set
r3 "
SYNOPSIS OK PHKOKDINU OIIAI'TKKS.
Chap. 1-Itcturnlnc from Mnnlla. Captain
Selwyn, formerly of the arms'. Is welcome
home by his sister, Nina Gerard, her wealthy
husband Austin, iititl their numerous ciulu
ren. Kllecn Krroll, ward of Nina and Austin.
Is jrart of their household. Selwln has been
divorced, without uullt on hi" part.lbyhU
wife. Alixc, who Is now the wife of Jack
Ituthvcn, with whom she ran away from
Selwyn. II Klleen, who Is very fond of hot
brother. Ueruld, despite the young man's
neglect of her, makes friends with Sciwyi.
Ill liernld Is worried about younc Krroll's
mingling In the fast set. Herald Is employ
ed by Julius Neergard, a realo state operator
in a lame way. Selwyn promises Kiieen no
will look niter her brother. Ho tells hei
about Hoots Lansing, his army chum in
Manila, who Is coming to New York. In the
park Klleen and Selwyn ride past Allxe. IV
Kllecn's deceased father was an archaeol
ogist, and she has Inherited some of his
scholarly qualities. Selwyn helps (Icrald
to settle a gambling debt and determines to
undertake his reformation. V Allxe and
Selwyn meet and discuss their altered rela
tions. He Is introduced to Mrs. Kosamund
Kane, leader of the fast set and Allxe's clos
est friend Ilenppeals toAltxe to help him
kecptlcrald from gambling. VI Thefrlend
Bhlp of Klleen and Selwyn progresses. VII
Oerald promises Selwyn he will stop Rambl
ing. Neergard discloses to Selwyn, who is
Interested In his olllcc, a plan to control the
Slnwltha Country club by buying up farms
essential to the club's existence. The plan
does not appeal to Selwyn, and ho consults
Austin, who denounces Nccrgard and his
methods. VII At night In bis room Selwyn
answers a knock at his door. IX The caller
is Allxe,, who is very unhappy with Ituthven
and wants to tnlk with Sclwpn, Kor a mo
ment their old love Hashes up, but at the
mention of Kllecn he knows that It Is past
resurrection. X Rosamund distresses Kl
lecn by telling her society Is gossiping about
Alixe ami neiwyn. aiiic gcisirom ucraiu,
who has again lost heavily, a promiso not to
play again at her house. XI Allxe and
nut liven quarrel over the gaming hy which
he lives, anil he reveals his knowledge of her
visit at night to her ex-husband's room.
Chapter 1
. IFFERENCES of opinion
between himself and
Nccrgard concerning the
ethics of good tasto In
volved In forcing the
Slowltha club matter.
Gerald's decreasing attention to busi
ness and Increasing Intimacy with the
Fanc-Ruthvcn coterie began to make
iSelwyn very uncomfortable. The boy's
'close relations with Nccrgard worried
Silm most of all and, though Nccrgard
iflnally agreed to drop the Slowltha
matter as a fixed policy In which Sel
iWyn had been expected to participate
tit some indefinite date, the arrangc
,ment seemed only to cement the man's
confidential companionship with Ger
ald. This added to Sclwyn's restlessness,
and one day in early spring ho had a
long conference with Gerald a most
unsatisfactory one. Gerald for the
first time romnlned reticent, and when
Selwyn, presuming on the cordial un
derstanding between them, pressed
liools Lansing.
him a little the boy turned sullen, and
Selwyn let the matter drop very quick
ly. Rut neither tact nor caution seemed
to trvo now. Gerald, more and more
engrossed in occult social affairs of
which ho mndo no mention to Selwyn,
was still amiable and friendly, even at
times cordial and lovable, but ho was
no longer frank or even communica
tive, and Selwyn, fearing to arouse
him again to sullonuess or perhaps
oven to suspicious defiance, forbore to
press him beyond the most tentative
advances toward the regaining of bis
confidence.
Gerald and Nccrgard left the ofllco
together frequently now. They often
lunched uptown. Whether they were
In each other's company evenings Sel
wyn did not know, for Gerald no
longer volunteered information as to
Ills whereabouts or doings. And all
this hurt Selwyn nnd alarmed him,
too, for ho was slowly coming to the
conclusion that ho did not Hko Neer
gard, that ho would never sign arti
cles of partnership with him and that
even his formal assoclatcshlp with the
company was too close a relation for
his own peace of mind. But on Ger
ald's account he stayed on. Ho did
not like to leave the boy alone for his
sister's sake as well as for his own.
Matters drifted that way through
early spring. Ho actually grew to dis
like both Neergard and tho business of
Noergard & Co., for no particular rea
son perhaps, but in general, though he
did not yet care to ask himself to be
more precise In his nnuttered criti
cisms. But Neergard broke bis word
to him.
And one morning before he left bis
?ooms at.Mxa. Qreeve's lodgings .to go
d.. nADCnr r u a MDCnc
Author of "THE PiailTINO CHANCE," Etc.
r : --1 -.1 mrtT . .. i; i 7 o. . i qo
downtown Percy Draymoro called him
up on the telephone, and, as thaver
fed young man's usual rising hour was
notoriously nearer noon than 8 o'clock,
It surprised Selwyn to be nsked to re
main In his rooms for a little while un
til Draymore and one or two friends
could call on him personally concern
ing a matter of importance.
First there was Tercy Draymore,
ovcrgroomcd for a gentleman, fat, good
humored d fashionable one of the
famous Draymore family noted solely
for their money and their tight grip on
It; then came Sanxon Orchil, the fa
mous banker and promoter, small, ur
bane, dark, with that rich, almost ori
ental, coloring which he may have In
herited from his Cordova ancestors,
who found it necessary to dehumanize
their names when Romo offered them
tho choice, with Immediate eternity as
alternative.
Then came a fox faced young man,
Phoenix Mottly, elegant arbiter of all
pertaining to polo and the hunt slim
legged, hatchet faced and more pre
sentable In tho saddle than out of It
He was followed by Bradley Harmon,
with his washed out coloring of a con
sumptive Swede and his corn colored
beard, and, looming In the rear like an
amiable brontosaurus, George Fane,
whoso swaying neck carried bis head
as a camel carries bis, nodding as be
walks.
"We heard last night," Bald Dray
more, "how that fellow how Neer
gard had been tampering with our
farmers what underhand tricks he
lias been playing us, and I frankly ad
mit to you that we're a worried lot of
near sports. That's what this dismal
matinee signifies, and we've come to
ask you what it all really means."
"Why did you not call on Mr. Neer
gard?" asked Selwyn coolly. Yet he
was taken completely by surprise, for
he did not know that Neergard had
gone ahead and secured options on his
own responsibility, which practically
amounted to a violation of the truce
between them. "T. know nothing about
it. I did not know that Mr. Nccrgard
had acquired control of tho property.
I don't know what he means to do
with It. And, gentlemen, may I ask
why you feci at liberty to come to me
instead of going to Mr. Nccrgard?" '
"A desire to deal with one of our
own kind, I suppose," returned Dray
moro bluntly. "And. for that matter,"
ho said, turning to the others, "wo
might have known that Captain Sel
wyn could have had no hand In and no
knowledge of such an underbred and
uirty"-
Ilannon plucked him by tho sleeve,
but Draymoro shook him off, his little
piggish eyes sparkling.
"What do I care?" he sneered, losing
his temper. "We're In the clutches of
a vulgar, skinflint Dutchman, nnd he'll
wring us dry whether or not we curse
him out. Didn't I tell you that Philip
Selwyn had nothing to do with It? If
he had, and I was wrong, our journey
hero might as well have been made to
Neorgnrd's olllce, for uny man who
will do such a filthy thing"
"One moment, Draymore," cut In Sel
wyn, artd his voice rang unpleasantly.
"If you arc simply complaining be
cause you have boon outwitted, go
ahead, but if you think there has been
any really dirty business in this mat
ter go to Mr. Neergard. Otherwise, be
ing his associate, I shall not only de
cline to listen, but also ask you to 1
leave my apartments."
"Captnln Selwyn Is perfectly right,"
observed Orchil coolly. "J3o you think, ,
Draymore, that it is very good tasto
in you to come into a man's place and ,
begin slanging and cursing a member i
of his firm for crooked work?" .
"Besides," added Mottly, "It's not
crooked; it's only contemptible." And ,
to Selwyn, who had been restlessly fac
ing first one, then another: "Wo came
It was tho idea of several among us
to put tho matter up to you, which
was rather foolish, because you couldn't
have engineered tho thing and remain
ed what wo know you to be. So"
"Wait!" said Selwyn brusquely. "I
do not admit for one moment that there
is anything dishonorable In this deal,
nor do I accept your right to question
it from that standpoint, because I
personally have not chosen to engage 1
in matters of this ah description, is
no reason for condemning tho deal or 1
Its method."
"Every rcasou!" said Orchil, laughing
cordially. "Every reason, Captain Sel
wyn. Thank you; wo know now exactly 1
where wo stand. It was very good of
you to let us come, nnd I'm sorry somo :
of us had the bad taste to show any I
temper." 1
"Ho means me," added Draymore,
offering his hand; "goodby, Captain
Selwyn. I dare say we are up against
it hard."
"Because we've got to buy in that
property or close up the Slowltha,''
added Mottly, coming over to make his
adieus. "By tho way, Selwyn, yon
ought to be one of us in tho Slowltha."
"Thank you, but Isn't this rather an
awkward tlmo to suggest It?" said Sel
wyn good humoredly.
Fane burst Into a sonorous laugh and
wagged his neck, saying: "Not at all!
Not at all! Your reward for having
the decency to stay out of the deal is
an invitation from us to come in and
be squeezed into a Jelly by Mr. Neer
gard. Hawl Haw!"
And so, one by one, with formal or
Informal bnt evidently friendly leave
taking, they went away. And Selwyn
followed them presently, walking until
he took tho subway at Forty -second
Btrcet for his office.
Ho went Into his own office, pocketed
his mall and still wearing hat and
gloves camo out again just as Gerald
was leaving Nccrgard's office.
He walked leisurely into Nccrgard's
office and seated himself.
"So you have committed tho firm to
the Slowltha deal?" he Inquired coolly.
Neergard looked up and then past
him: "No, not tho firm. You did not
Boem to be Interested In the scheme, so
I went on without you. I'm swinging
It for my personal account."
"Is Mr. Erroll In It?"
"I said that It was a private matter,"
replied Neergard, but' his manner was
affable.
"I thought so; It appears to mo like
a matter quite personal to you and
characteristic of you, Mr. Neergard.
And, that being established, I am now
ready to dissolve whatever very loose
tics have ever bound me in any asso
ciation with this company and your
self." Nccrgard's close Bet black eyes shift
ed a point nearer to Selwyn's. The
sweat on bis nose glistened.
"Why do you do this?" he asked
slowly. "Has anybody offended you?"
"Do you really wish to know?"
"Yes, I certainly do, Captain Selwyn."
"Very well. It's because I don't like
your business methods, I don't like
several other things that are happen
ing In this office. It's purely a differ
ence of views, and that is enough ex
planation, Mr. Nccrgard.'
"I think our views may very easily
coincide."
"You ore wrong; they could not I
ought to have known that when I came
back here. And now I have only to
thank you for receiving me, at my own
request for a six months' trial, and to
admit that I am not qualified to co
operate with this kind of a firm."
"That," said Neergard angrily,
"amounts to an indictment of the firm.
If you express yourself In that manner
outside, the firm will certainly resent
It!"
"My personal taste will continue to
govern my expressions, Mr. Neergard,
ani I believe will prevent any further
business relations between us. And,
as we never h'ad any other kind of re
lations, I have merely to arrange the
details through an attorney."
Neergard looked after him in si
lence. The tiny beads of sweat on his
nose united and rolled down in a big
Rhinlng drop, nnd tho sneer etched on
his broad and brightly mottled fea
tures deepened to a snarl when Sel
wyn had disappeared.
For the social prestige which Sel
wyn's name had brought tho firm he
had patiently endured his personal dis
like and contempt for the man after
he found ho could do nothing with him
la any way.
He had accepted Selwyn purely in
the hope of social advantage and with
the knowledge that Selwyn could have
done much for him after business
hours, If not from friendship, at least
from interest or n lively sense of bene
fits to como. For that reason he had
Invited him to participate in tho valu
able Slowltha deal, supposing a man
as comparatively poor as Selwyn
would not only Jump at tho opportuni
ty, but also prove sufficiently grateful
later. And ho had been amazed and
disgusted at Sclwyn's attitude. But
ho had not supposed the man would
sever his connection with the firm If
he, Nccrgard, went ahead on his own
responsibility. It astonished nnd irri
tated him. It meant, instead of selfish
or snobbish indifference to his own
social ambitions, an enemy to block
his entrance into what ho desired the
society of those made notorious In tho
columns of the daily press.
Ho was fairly on the outer boundary
now, though still very far outside. But
a needy gentleman Inside was already
compromised and practically pledged
to support him, for his meeting with
.Tack Ruthven through Gerald had
proved of greatest importance. Ho
had lost gracefully to Ruthven nnd
In doing It had taken that gentleman's
measure. And, though Ruthven him
self was a member of tho Slowltha,
Neergard had made no error In taking
him secretly into tho deal where to
gether they wero now in a position
to exploit the club, from which Ruth
ven of course would resign In time to'
escape any assessment himself.
Neergard's progress had now reach
ed this stage. His programme was
simple to wallow among the wealthy
until satiated, then to marry Into that
agreeable community and found tho
house of Neergard. And to that end
ho had already bought a building site
on Fifth avenue, but held It in tho
namo of the firm, as though it had been
acquired for purposes merely specula,
tive.
Chapter ISifr
A BOUT that time Boots Lan
sing very quietly bought
a house on Manhattan
Island. It was a small,
narrow, three storied
house of brick, rather
shabby on the outside
and situated on a modest block be
tween Lexington and Park avenues,
where the newly married of tho
younger set were arriving in Increas
ing numbers, prepared to pay the
penalty for all love matches.
It was an unexpected move to Sel
wyn; he had not been aware of Lan
sing's contemplated desertion, and that
morning, returning from his final in
terview with Neergard, he was as
tonished to find his comrade's room
bare of furniture and a hasty and ex
clamatory note on bis own table:
Phil! I've bought houMl Coma and
ma 1H You'll And m in Itl nmtlM
floors and unpapered wallil It's the hap
piest day ot my life! HOOTS!
IIouso Owner!
And Selwyn, horribly depressed,
went down after a solitary luncheon
and found Lansing sitting on a pile of
dusty rugs, ecstatically Inspecting tho
cracked celling.
"I'm going to have tho entire thing
done over, room by room, when I can
afford It. Look
there, Phill
That's to be
your room."
"Thanks, old
fellow not now."
"Why, ycsl I
expected you'd
have your room
here, Phil"
"It's very good
of you, Boots,
but I can't do
it"
Lansing faced
him." Won,tFollnl Lansing sit
vou?" ting on a pile of
i Selwyn, smil- rugs.
ling, shook his head, nnd the other
' know it was final.
I "Well, the room will be there, fur
nished the way you and I like it
When you want it make smoke sig
nals or wigwag."
"I will, thank you, Boots."
I Lansing said unaffectedly, "How soon
do you think yotf can afford a house
liko this?"
"I don't kuow. You see, I've only my
Income now."
"Plus what you make at the office."
"I've loft Neergard."
"What!"
"This morning; for good."
The deuce!" he murmured, looking
at Selwyn; but the latter volunteered
no further information, nnd Lansing,
having given him the chance, cheer
fully switched to the other track.
"Shall I see whether the Air Line
has anything In your line, Phil? No?
Well, what aro you going to do?"
"I don't exactly know what I shall
do. If I hud capital enough I think
I'd utart in making bulk and dense
powders all sorts; gun cotton, nltro
powders"
i "Yon mean you'd like to go on with
I your own Invention chaositc?"
I "I'd like to keep on experimenting
i with It if I could afford to. Perhaps I
, will. But it's not yet a commercial
possibility if It ever Is to be. I wish
I could control It; tho Ignition is slmul
. tancous and absolutely complete, and
there Is not a trace of ash. not an un
' burned or partly burned particle. But
it's not to be trusted, and I don't know
j what happens to It after a year's stor-
agc."
"Anyway," said Lansing, "you've
i nothing to worry over."
I "No, nothing," assented Selwyn list-
lessly.
, After a silence Lansing added, "But
I you do a lot of worrying all the same,
1 Phil."
Selwyn flushed up and denied it.
' "Yes, you do! I don't believe you
' realize how much of tho tlmo you aro
out of spirits."
! "Does It impress you that way,"
asked Selwyn, mortified, "because I'm
really all right?"
j "Of course you arc, Phil. I know it,
hut you don't seem to realize It.
You're morbid, I'm afraid."
I "You've been talking to my sister!"
I "What of it? Besides, I knew there
j was something the matter."
I "You know what it is too. And
Isn't It enough to subdue a man's spir
its occasionally?"
j "No," said Lansing, "if you mean
i your mistake two years ago. That
I isn't enough to spoil life for a man.
1 I've wanted to tell you so for a long
, time."
And as Selwyn said nothing: "For
, heaven's sake, make up your mind to
' enjoy your life! You aro fitted to en
Joy it. Got that absurd notion out of
your head that you're done for, that
you've no homo life In prospect, no
family life, no children."
j "Do you mean to say. Boots, that
' you think a man who has made the
i ghastly mess of his life that I have
ought to feel free to marry?"
"Think it! Man, I know it. Ccr
i talnly you ought to marry If you wish,
but, above all, you ought to feel free
I to marry. That Is tho essential cqulp
' ment of a man. no isn't a man if lie
feels that ho isn't free to marry. He
may not want to do It ho may not bo
1 In love. Thafs neither hero nor there.
The main thing Is that ho Is free as a
man should bo to take any good oppor
tunity, and marriage Is included In the
list of good opportunities."
i Sitting there In tho carpetlcss room
piled high with dusty, linen shrouded
furniture, Selwyn looked around, an
Involuntary smllo twitching his mouth.
' "What about your marrying," ho
said, "after this talk about mine?
What nbout it, Boots? Is this now
house tho first modest step toward tho
matrimony you laud so loudly?"
I "Sure," said that gentleman airily.
I "That's what I'm hero for."
"Really?"
"Well, of course, idiot. I've nlwnys
I been In love."
I "You mean you actually have some
body In view?"
"No, son. I'vo nlways been in love
with love. I'm a sentimental sentry
on the ramparts of reason. I'm prop
erly armed for trouble now, so If I'm
challenged I won't let my chance slip
by me."
After a little while Selwyn went
away, first to look up a book which ho
was having bound for Eileen, then to
call on his sister, who, with Eileen,
had just returned from a week at Sll
vcrsldo with the children preliminary
to moving the entire establishment
there for the coming summer.
"Sllverslde Is too lovely for words!"
exclaimed Nina as Selwyn entered the
library. "Nobody wanted to come
away. Eileen made straight for the
surf, bat it was an Arctic aea, and as
soon as I found out what she was
dolntr I made her come oat"
"I should think you would," he said.
"Nobody can do that and thrive."
"She seems to," said Nina. "She was
simply glorious after the swim, and I
hated to put a stop to It And yon
should see her drying her hair and
helping Plunkct to roll the tennis
courts that hair of hers blowing like
gold flames and her sleeves rolled to
her armpits and you should see her
down In the dirt playing marbles with
Billy and Drlna shooting away ex
citedly and exclaiming 'Ten dubs!' and
'Knuckle down, Billy!' like any gamin
you ever heard of totally unspoiled,
Phil, in spite of all tho success of her
first winter! And do you know that
she had no end of men seriously en
tangled? Phil!"'
"What?" he said.
His sister regarded him smilingly,
then partly turned around and perched
herself on the padded arm of a great
chair.
"Come over here, Phil; no, close to
roe. I wish to put my hands on your
shoulders, like that. Now look at me.
Do you really love me?"
"Sure thing, Ninette."
"And you know I adore you, don't
you?"
"Madly, dear, but I forgive you."
"No. I want you to be serious, be
cause I'm pretty serious. See, I'm not
smiling now. I don't feel like It, be
cause It Is n very, very important mat
ter, Phil, this thing that has has al
most happened. It's about Eileen. And
It really has happened."
"What has she done?" be asked curi
ously. nis sister's eyes were searching his
very diligently, as though In quest ot
something elusive, and he gazed se
renely back, the most unsuspicious of
Einllcs touching his mouth.
"Phil, dear, a young girl a very
young girl Is a vapid and uninterest
ing proposition to a man of thirty-five
Isn't she?"
"Rather In some ways."
"In what way is she not?"
"Well, to me, for example, she is ac
ceptable as children are acceptable a
blessed, sweet, clean relief from the
women of the Fanes' set, for example."
"Like Rosamund?"
"Yes. And, Ninette, you and Austin
seem to be drifting out of the old cir
cles, the sort that you and I were ac
customed to. You don't mind my say
ing It, do you? But there were so many
people In this town who had some
thing besides millions amusing, well
bred, jolly people who had no end ol
good times, but who didn't gamble nnd
guzzle and stuff themselves and their
friends, who were not eternally hang
ing around other people's wives. You
have jus,t asked me whether a young
girl Is interesting to me. I answer,
yes, thank God, for tho cleaner, saner,
happier hours I have spent this winter
among my own kind have been spent
where the younger set dominated.
They aro better than those who bred
them, and If In time they, too, fall
short they will not fall as far as their
parents. And In their turn when they
look around them at tho younger set,
whom they have taught in the light
and wisdom of their own shortcom
ings, they will see fresher, sweeter,
lovelier young people than wo see now.
And It will continue so, dear, through
tho jolly generations. Life is nil right
only, like art, it Is very, very long
sometimes."
Nina sat silent upon the padded arm
of her chair, looking up at her brother
"Mad preacher! Mnd niollah! Dear,
dear fellow!" she said tenderly. "All
Ills ot tho world canst thou discount,
but not thlno own."
"Those, too," he insisted, laughing.
"I had a talk with Boots. But any
way I'd already arrived at my own
eonclusion that that I'm rather over
doing this blighted business."
"Phil!" in quick delight
"Yes," ho said, reddening nicely;
"between you and Boots and myself
I'vo decided that I'm going in for for
whatever any man is going in for
life! Ninette, life to tho full and up
to the hilt for mine!"
"I am going to say something that
is very, very serious and very near
my heart," said Nina.
"I remember," he said. "It's about
Eileen, isn't it?"
"Yes, it Is about Eileen."
Ho waited, and again his sister's
eyes began restlessly searching his for
something that she seemed unablo to
find.
"You make it a little difficult, Thil.
I don't believe I had better speak of
it."
"Why not?"
"Why, just because you ask me
'Why not?' for example."
"Is It anything that worries you
about Eileen?"
"N-no, not exactly. It is It may bo
a phase, and yet I know that If It Is
anything at all It is not a passing
phase. She Is different from the ma
jority, you see very Intelligent, very
direct Sho never forgets, for exam
ple. Her loyalty Is quite remarkable,
Thll. Sho is very Intense In her her
beliefs, tho more so because sho Is
unusually freo from Impulse, even
quite Ignorant of tho deeper emotions,
or so I believed until until"
"Is sho in love?" ho asked.
"A little, Phil."
"Docs sho admit It?" he demanded,
unpleasantly astonished.
"She admits It in a dozen Innocent
ways to me, who can understand her.
But to herself sho has not admitted it,
I think could not admit It yet, be
causebecause" "Who Is it?" asked Selwyn, and there
was in his volco the slightest under
tone of a growl.
"Dear, shall I tell your
"Why not?"
"Because because, Fhil, I think that
our pretty Eileen Is a little In love
with you."
He straightened out to his full
height; eearlet to the temples. She
dropped her linked fingers la her lap,
gaslng at htm almost sadly.
"Dear, all the things you are- prepar
ing to shout at me are quite useless.
I know. I don't Imagine, I don't fore
stall, I don't predict"
"Nina, you are madder than a March
heiress r
"Air your theories, Phil, then come
back to realities. The conditions re
main. Eileen la certainly a little la
love with you, and a little with her
means something. And you evidently
have never harbored any serious In
tentions toward tho child. I can see
that, because you are the most trans
parent man I ever knew. Now, the
question is, What is to bo done?"
"I am, of course, obliged to believe
that you are mistaken," he said. "A
man cannot choose but believe in that
manner. There is no very young girl,
nobody, old or young, whom I like as
thoroughly as I do Eileen Erroll. She
knows It; so do you, Nina. It is open
and aboveboard. I should be very un
happy If anything marred or distorted
Our friendship. I nm nnlfa mnllj...
. .vuuuvui
that nothing will."
"In that frame of mind," said his
sister, smiling, "you are tho healthiest
companion In the world for her, for
you will either cure her or she you,
and It Is all right either way."
"Certainly It win be all right" he
said confidently.
For n few moments ho paced the
room, reflective, quickening his pace
all the while, and his sister watched
him, silent In her indecision.
"I'm going up to see tho kids," ho
buiu uuruptiy.
The children, one and all, wero In
the park, but Eileen was sewing in
the nursery, and his sister did not call
him back as ho swung out of the room
and up the stairs. But when he had
disappeared Nina dropped into her
chair, aware that she had played her
best card prematurely, forced hv Una.
amund, who had Just told her that
! rumor continued to be very busy cou-
pllng her brother's name with the
j name of the woman who once had
I been his wife.
I Nina was now thoroughly convinced
of Allxe's unusual capacity for making
mischief.
! She had known Allxe always, and
she had seen her develop from a tal
ented, restless, erratic, emotional girl.
easily moved to generosity. Into an
I impulsive woman, reckless to the
I point of ruthlessncss when ennui and
I nnhappiness stampeded her, a woman
not deliberately selfish, not wittingly
Immoral, for she lacked the passion
which her emotion was sometimes mis
taken for, and she was kind by In
stinct. Sufficiently Intelligent to suffer from
the lack of It in others, cultured to tho
point of recognizing culture, her dan
gerous unsoundness lay In her utter
lack of mental stamina when condi
tions became unpleasant beyond her
will, not her ability to endure them.
The consequences of her own errors
she refused to be burdened with. To
escape somehow was her paramount
impulse, and sho always tried to had
always attempted it even In school
days and further back when Nina
first remembered her as a thin, eager,
restless little girl scampering from one
scrape Into auother at full speed.
Even in those days there were mo
ments when Nina believed her to be
actually irrational, but there was every
reason not to say so to tho heedless
scattcrurain whose father in tho prime
of life sat nil day in his room, his
faded eyes fixed wistfully on tho child
ish toys which his attendant brought
to him from his daughter's nursery.
AH this Nina was remembering, and
again sho wondered bitterly at Allxe's
treatment of her brother and what ex
planation there could ever be for it
except one.
Lately, too, Alixe had scarcely been
at pains to conceal her contempt for
her husband, if what Rosamund rolat
i ed was true. It was only one more
1 headlong scrape, this second marriage,
! and Nina knew Alixc well enough to
expect the usual stampede toward that
gay phantom which was always beck
I oning onward to promised happiness,
: that goal of heart's desire already ly
I Ing so far behind her, and farther still,
I for every step her little flying feet
' were taking in tho oldest tho vainest,
I tho most hopeless, chase in the world
the headlong hunt for happiness.
I And if that blind hunt should lead
i once more toward Selwyn? Suppose,
i freed from Ruthven, she turned in her
' tracks and throw herself and her
youthful unhapplness straight at tho
man who had not yet destroyed the
picture that Nina found when she visit-
cd her brother's rooms with tho dcslro
I to be good to him with rocking chairs.
Not that she really believed or feared
that Fhillp would consider such an
. impossible reconciliation; pride and a
senso of the absurd must always check
any such weird caprlco of her broth
er's conscience, and yet and yet other
amazing nnd mlsmated couples bad
done it had been reunited.
And Nina was mightily troubled, for
Allxe's capacity for mischief was
boundless, nnd that she In some man
ner had already succeeded in stirring
up Philip was a rumor that persisted'
and would not be annihilated.
To inform a man frankly that a
young girl Is a little in love with him,
is ono of the oldest, simplest and casl-i
est methods of Interesting that man
unless he happen to be In love with
Bomebody else. And Nina had taken
her chances that the picture of Allxe
was already too unimportant for the
ceremony of incineration. Besides,
what she had ventured to say to him
was her belief. The child appeared to
be utterly absorbed in her increasing
intimacy with Selwyn.
Love was not there. Nina under
stood that But its germ waa atlil
dormant, but bedded delldously lal
congenial soil the living germ in alM
Its latent promise, ready to awen wttfa
the first madden heart beat; qalcnwa
With the first qutckeateg ot the. !.'
(To bo continued.)