t; their tears keep a man guessing year in
and year out. But this is no place for a dissertation on tears.
There's time enough for that.

The bride and groom left immediately for Boston, from which city they
were to sail for Europe the following day. In the carriage John drew
his bride close to his heart.

"Mine!" he said, kissing her. "God grant that I may make you happy,
girl."

"John, you are the finest gentleman in the world!"

His hand stole into his coat pocket and gently dropped something into
her lap. She looked down and saw through her tears a crumpled pair of
white kid gloves. Then she knew what manner of man was this at her
side.

"It was not because I doubted you," he said softly: "it was because
they were yours."

Chapter VII

Spring came round again in Herculaneum. People began to go to the
tailor and the dress-maker and the hatter. There were witty
editorials in the newspapers on house-cleaning and about the man who
had the courage to wear the first straw hat. The season (referring to
the winter festivities) had been unusually lively. There had been two
charity balls by rival hospital boards, receptions, amateur dramatics,
dinners and dances, not to omit the announcement of several
engagements.

The new Bennington mansion had its house-warming in November. The
reception, followed by a dinner-dance in the evening, was, according
to the society columns, "one of the social events of the season. The
handsomest house in town was a bower of smilax and hothouse roses."
Everybody went to the reception, for everybody was more or less
curious to meet the former celebrated actress. The society reporters,
waiting for their cues, were rather non-committal in their description
of the mistress. There was reason. They did not care, at this early
stage of the game, to offend the leader by too much praise of a
newcomer who had yet to establish herself. Besides, they realized how
little their paragraphs would mean to a woman whose portrait had
appeared in nearly all the illustrated magazines in the world. Thus,
the half-heartedness of the newspapers was equally due to
self-consciousness. Society itself, however, was greatly pleased with
the beautiful Mrs. Bennington, for she entered with zest into all
society's plans. In fact, she threatened to become very popular. The
younger element began to call her Mrs. Jack.

Kate was in her element, for to live after this fashion was the one
ambition that had sur