d sort if she only had the
right chance?"

"The right chance?"

"Yes. Think of her living on and on in that deadly proper little
hotel--chuck full of primped and crimped and proud poor relations who
don't dare draw a single full-sized breath without first considering
whether such a daring act might not disturb the social standing of
somebody over on Fifth Avenue or down here on Washington Square--Oh,
I say, mother, five more years of that life and Olivetta will be
choked--dessicated--salted away--a regular forever-and-ever-amen old
maid. But if--" He hesitated.

"Yes--if?"

"If Olivetta were only to marry some one--some decent fellow--she'd
blossom out, grow as young as she actually is--and, who knows, perhaps
even her hairpins might stay in."

"Marry, yes. But whom?"

"I've seen a few things--there's a certain party--and--" He stumbled
a bit, conscious that he was becoming indiscreet. "And, oh, well, just
on general principles marriage is a good thing."

"That is just the opinion I have been urging upon you in regard to
yourself," returned his mother in her even, confident tone.

"U'm--yes," Jack said hastily. "But that was not--not the first thing
I wanted to speak about."

"I believe you did say there were several matters."

"So there are." He rubbed his face tentatively with his bandaged hand;
then smiled blandly at his mother. "Yes, there are a few."

"Well?"

"Well, first of all, mother, I want to make a kick."

She frowned. "How often must I request you not to use such common
expressions!"

"All right, all right," said he. "Suppose I say, then, that I'm
dissatisfied."

"Dissatisfied!" She straightened up. "Dissatisfied! What about? Do I
not allow you all the money you want?"

"Yes."

"And have I not practically arranged a match between you and Ethel
Quintard? Ethel will have three millions some day. And there is no
better family to marry into; that is, except our own."

"Yes, yes,--I know."

"And yet you say you are dissatisfied!" She stared. "What more can you
want?"

"Well, for one thing, to go to school," was Jack's amiable response.

"Go to school! Why--why, you've already had the best of educations!
Exeter--Yale--not to speak of private tutors!"

"And what did I learn? That is," he added, "over and above being a
fairly decent half-back and learning how to spend money--u'm--pretty
thoroughly."

"I trust," said Mrs. De Peyster with all her dignity, "that you
learned to be a ge