commonplace enough, but for that reason
they seemed to Gerry the harder to endure.

Her mother and father had married when they were young and clerking
together in a small village store. After Gerry's birth they conceived
the idea of becoming traveling sales people.

When Gerry was a tiny child they tried taking her about with them, often
leaving her alone for long, lonely hours in strange hotel rooms. After
she grew older, arrangements were made for her to board in Chicago, the
city her parents visited oftener than any other. But when Gerry was
fourteen her father died and a year later her mother married a little
town store keeper.

It was at this time Gerry Williams realized she would be forced to face
the future for herself. It is true her mother and stepfather offered her
a home with them and the opportunity to work in their shop. But Gerry
had never cared for her mother and now hated her stepfather, while the
thought of the little town store was abhorrent. Yet there was no
particular reason for this attitude save that Gerry had always been
antagonistic to her environment for as long as she could remember.

She was so utterly unlike her own people both in appearance, manner and
nature that she was a puzzle to all of them. No one of them could have
told from whom she inherited her delicate prettiness, her love of luxury
and refinement.

One day, learning of Mrs. Burton's presence in Chicago, suddenly Gerry
conceived the idea of going to her and applying for the position of
maid. If she must work she thought that she would like better than most
things to live with a famous woman and perhaps travel with her and see
something of the world.

At the moment of Gerry's arrival it chanced that by accident Mrs. Burton
was at home and free from other engagements, so she decided to see and
talk to her. Naturally Gerry was too young and untrained for the
position she desired; moreover, Mrs. Burton had no need for the services
of a maid, since Marie had been living with her a number of years. But
she grew interested in her pretty guest, and feeling the need of
sympathy, Gerry was glad to pour forth her story.

Ever after this visit, although no member of her family aside from her
husband had been informed of the fact, Mrs. Burton had been paying
Gerry's board in Chicago during the winters, only urging her to try to
educate herself for some work in the future. For several summers, as we
know, Gerry had been invited to be