han Grace; she had matured in the past year more
than her mother in twenty, and she felt rather like a woman obeying the
mandates of a child.

But on that pleasant Monday she was determined to be happy.

"Old world begins to look pretty, doesn't it?" said Pink, breaking in on
her thoughts.

"Lovely."

"It's not a bad place to live in, after all," said Pink, trying to cheer
his own rather unhappy humor. "There is always spring to expect, when we
get low in winter. And there are horses and dogs, and--and blossoms on
the trees, and all that." What he meant was, "If there isn't love."

"You are perfectly satisfied with things just as they are, aren't you?"
Lily asked, half enviously.

"Well, I'd change some things." He stopped. He wasn't going to go round
sighing like a furnace. "But it's a pretty good sort of place. I'm for
it."

"Have you sent your ponies out?"

"Only two. I want to show you one I bought from the Government almost
for nothing. Remount man piped me off. Light in flesh, rather, but fast.
Handy, light mouth--all he needs is a bit of training."

They had been in the open country for some time, but now they were
approaching the Cardew's Friendship plant. The furnaces had covered the
fields with a thin deposit of reddish ore dust. Such blighted grass
as grew had already lost its fresh green, and the trees showed stunted
blossoms. The one oasis of freshness was the polo field itself,
carefully irrigated by underground pipes. The field, with its stables
and grandstand, had been the gift of Anthony Cardew, thereby promoting
much discussion with his son. For Howard had wanted the land for certain
purposes of his own, to build a clubhouse for the men at the plant, with
a baseball field. Finding his father obdurate in that, he had urged that
the field be thrown open to the men and their families, save immediately
preceding and during the polo season. But he had failed there, too.
Anthony Cardew had insisted, and with some reason, that to use
the grounds for band concerts and baseball games, for picnics and
playgrounds, would ruin the turf for its legitimate purpose.

Howard had subsequently found other land, and out of his own private
means had carried out his plans, but the location was less desirable.
And he knew what his father refused to believe, that the polo ground,
taking up space badly needed for other purposes, was a continual
grievance.

Suddenly Pink stared ahead.

"I say," he said, "have t