, no," denied Eveley, flushing a little. "He is just a pleasant
in-between-whiles. We are fellow-Americanizers, that is all."

"Does Mr. Hiltze know that?" queried Marie.

"Oh, everybody knows that I belong to Nolan when the time comes," said
Eveley, laughing.

Nolan, urgently warned by Eveley, met Marie with friendly ease and asked
no questions. He took her hand cordially and said in his pleasant voice.
"Well, if you are Eveley's sister, I have a half-way claim upon you
myself, and you must count me in." And then he promptly began mashing
potatoes for their dinner, and Marie did not mind him at all.

When Amos Hiltze came to the Cloud Cote she joined serenely with them,
very easy and comfortable, always careful to go to her room before he
left, that he might have a little while alone with Eveley. For she saw
plainly that while he interested Eveley only in his enthusiasm for
Americanization, for him Eveley had a deeper and sweeter charm.

One Saturday afternoon when Nolan was busy, the two girls went out for a
picnic on the beach, a well-filled basket in the car for their dinner. On
a sudden impulse, Eveley turned to Marie and cried:

"Oh, little sister, how would you like to learn to drive? Then you can
take me to the office and have the car yourself to play with while I am
busy."

"Eveley," came the ecstatic gasp, "would you--let me?"

"Would I let you?" laughed Eveley. "Should you like it? Why, you have
been wanting to, haven't you? Why didn't you ask me, Marie?"

"Oh, I couldn't."

"Yes, you should have," said Eveley gravely. "I would have told you
honestly if I did not wish it. I said you must feel free to ask me for
anything, didn't I. And don't I always mean what I say--to you, at
least?"

"Does your love for Americanization carry you so far?" asked Marie
curiously.

Eveley was silent a moment. "I can not exactly count you Americanization,"
she said honestly. "I do not believe Americanizing you could add anything
to your sweetness, anyhow. You are just fun, and--You may not believe it,
Marie," she added rather shyly, for she was not a demonstrative girl, "but
I--really I love you."

Quick tears leaped to Marie's dark eyes, and she placed her head softly
against Eveley's shoulder, though she did not speak. Almost instantly
Eveley brushed away the wave of sentiment and gave her quick bright
laugh.

"Now listen, sweetness," she said. "It is like this. This is the clutch
that controls the gears. Whe