introduces him right and left, got people to take him up. Everybody
laughs about it in society. Underwood is known as Mrs. Howard Jeffries'
pet. Such a thing soon gets talked about. That is the secret of his
successful career in New York. As far as I know, she's as much
infatuated with him as ever."

A look of surprise came into Annie's face. To this young woman, whose
one idea of matrimony was steadfast loyalty to the man whose life she
shared and whose name she bore, there was something repellent and
nauseating in a woman permitting herself to be talked about in that way.

"Doesn't your father object?" she asked.

"Pshaw!" laughed Howard. "He doesn't see what's going on under his very
nose. He's too proud a man, too sure of his own good judgment, to
believe for a moment that the woman to whom he gave his name would be
guilty of the slightest indiscretion of that kind."

Annie was silent for a minute. Then she said:

"What makes you think that Underwood would let you have the money?"

"Because I think he's got it. I obliged him once in the same way myself.
I would explain to him what I want it for. He will see at once that it
is a good thing. I'll offer him a good rate of interest, and he might be
very glad to let me have it. Anyhow, there's no harm trying."

Annie said nothing. She did not entirely approve this idea of her
husband trying to borrow money of a man in whom his stepmother was so
much interested. On the other hand starvation stared them in the face.
If Howard could get hold of this $2,000 and start in the brokerage
business it might be the beginning of a new life for them.

"Well, do as you like, dear," she said. "When will you go to him?"

"The best time to catch him would be in the evening," replied Howard.

"Well, then, go to-night," she suggested.

Howard shook his head.

"No, not to-night. I don't think I should find him in. He's out every
night somewhere. To-night there's another big reception at my father's
house. He'll probably be there. I think I'll wait till to-morrow night.
I'm nearly sure to catch him at home then."

Annie rose and began to remove the dishes from the table. Howard
nonchalantly lighted another cigarette and, leaving the table, took up
the evening newspaper. Sitting down comfortably in a rocker by the
window, he blew a cloud of blue smoke up in the air and said:

"Yes, that's it--I'll go to-morrow night to the Astruria and strike Bob
Underwood for that $2,000."