nt I didn't want to _wear_ them," retorted the man, upon whom
the tragic wretchedness of that half-sobbed "bunches" had been quite
lost. "I love to see you _mending_ them," he finished, with an approving
glance at the pretty little picture of domesticity before him.

A peculiar expression came to Marie's eyes.

"Why, Cyril, you mean you _like_ to have me mend them just for--for the
sake of seeing me do it, when you _know_ you won't ever wear them?"

"Sure!" nodded the man, imperturbably. Then, with a sudden laugh, he
asked: "I wonder now, does Billy love to mend socks?"

Marie smiled, but she sighed, too, and shook her head.

"I'm afraid not, Cyril."

"Nor cook?"

Marie laughed outright this time. The vaguely troubled look had fled
from her eyes

"Oh, Billy's helped me beat eggs and butter sometimes, but I never knew
her to cook a thing or want to cook a thing, but once; then she spent
nearly two weeks trying to learn to make puddings--for you."

"For _me!_"

Marie puckered her lips queerly.

"Well, I supposed they were for you at the time. At all events she was
trying to make them for some one of you boys; probably it was really for
Bertram, though."

"Humph!" grunted Cyril. Then, after a minute, he observed: "I judge Kate
thinks Billy'll never make them--for anybody. I'm afraid Sister Kate
isn't pleased."

"Oh, but Mrs. Hartwell was--was disappointed in the wedding," apologized
Marie, quickly. "You know she wanted it put off anyway, and she didn't
like such a simple one.

"Hm-m; as usual Sister Kate forgot it wasn't her funeral--I mean, her
wedding," retorted Cyril, dryly. "Kate is never happy, you know, unless
she's managing things."

"Yes, I know," nodded Marie, with a frowning smile of recollection at
certain features of her own wedding.

"She doesn't approve of Billy's taste in guests, either," remarked
Cyril, after a moment's silence.

"I thought her guests were lovely," spoke up Marie, in quick defense.
"Of course, most of her social friends are away--in July; but Billy is
never a society girl, you know, in spite of the way Society is always
trying to lionize her and Bertram."

"Oh, of course Kate knows that; but she says it seems as if Billy
needn't have gone out and gathered in the lame and the halt and the
blind."

"Nonsense!" cried Marie, with unusual sharpness for her. "I suppose she
said that just because of Mrs. Greggory's and Tommy Dunn's crutches."

"Well, they didn't make a r