door.

Almost before the wondering assent had left her lips, Angie slipped in
and stood before her. She was still in her spangled dance frock and
her round blue eyes were snapping fire.

"I suppose I have come on a thankless mission, Willa," she began.
"Every time I have tried to help you or teach you anything, you have
looked on it, in your spiteful way, as mere jealousy on my part,
although why I should be jealous of you, heaven only knows!"

"Please, Angelica! We have had all this out before and I am very
tired. Would you mind if I asked you to wait until morning?" Willa
gave her hair a final twist and turned from the mirror. "I am honestly
sorry Kearn Thode missed those dances with you to-night, but it really
wasn't my fault--"

"Do you suppose I wanted to dance with him?" Angie interrupted in
immense scorn. "I only permitted him to put his name down on my card
in ordinary courtesy because of his sister; she has such a caustic
tongue that one must keep on the right side of her. If he chose to
ignore his dances with me it was because he was playing a game which
you, you conceited little simpleton, couldn't see through. Oh, I heard
what he said to you in the conservatory--!"

"You listened!" Willa turned on her at last. "Lord, what a miserable
specimen of a girl you are, anyhow! I knew you were spying about and
listening at my heels here at home to learn what you could and run with
it to the man who's making a tool of you and a fool besides, but I
didn't think you were so low down as to skulk about and pry into
affairs which are no concern of yours! Is nothing sacred to you?"

"I was only doing my duty!" Angie returned loftily. Then her consuming
rage got the better of her once more. "You dare to speak of anyone
making a tool of me! It is you who are waiting for anyone's hand!
Starr Wiley made a fool of you, and you simpered and purred and thought
you were taking him from me, when he was only amusing himself for the
moment because he was jealous of me with Art. Judson! Now, in your
bursting conceit you think this impecunious fortune-hunter, Thode, is
in love with you. I listened because it was my duty to keep any member
of the family from throwing herself away and I wanted to see how far he
would dare to go. I'm here now to tell you the truth."

"I do not want to hear another word!" Willa cried hotly. "It is no
affair of yours and you shall not speak of Kearn Thode as a--a
fortune-hunter! H