iently.

"I s'pose it would really be the best thing for you," Ernestine
admitted, looking at Milly thoughtfully. Milly was now barely
thirty-four and more seductive as a woman than ever before. Ernestine's
jealous heart could understand why men would desire her mate. "And this
time," she continued more cheerfully, "you'll know enough to pick a good
provider."

"Don't talk such nonsense."

Nevertheless Milly was pleased at this proof that she was still
desirable, merely as a woman. What woman wouldn't, be? Her early
romantic notion that second marriages were impure had completely changed
since the failure of her marriage with Jack. Now she had merely a
feeling of disgust with the married state in general and with husbands
as a class.

"They ain't all bad, I expect," Ernestine remarked in a spirit of
fairness. "There must be exceptions among husbands the same as in
everything else in life."

"I don't care to take the risk."

"But I expect if you'd happened to marry one of those others who
wanted you to you'd felt different. You'd be on easy street to-day,
anyhow!... The trouble was, my dear, you trusted to your feelin' too
much, and not enough to your head."

She nodded her own large head sagely.

"Perhaps," Milly agreed vaguely.... "Well, will you shut the house up?"

Ernestine went downstairs to lock the doors and see that the lights were
out in the servants' quarters.

II

AT LAST, THE REAL RIGHT SCHEME

Whenever Eleanor Kemp came to New York--which happened usually at least
twice a year, on her way to and from Europe--she always endeavored to
see her old friend, if for only a few minutes. So when she landed this
spring, she went almost immediately from her hotel to number 236, and
Milly found her waiting in the little reception room on her return from
her marketing.

"You see I didn't forget the number, and just came over!" Mrs. Kemp said
gayly. "We docked at ten, and Walter has already disappeared to see some
pictures.... How are you, dear?"

The two friends had kissed, and then still holding each other by the
arms drew off for the preliminary scrutiny. Eleanor Kemp's black hair
showed gray about the temples, and there were lines around the trembling
mouth. "She's getting old, really," Milly thought in a flash. "But it
doesn't make so much difference to her, they are so rich!"

"Milly, you are prettier than ever--you always are when I see you--how
do you keep so young?" the older woman e