house, and
seeing them together with their babies, and noting all the peace and
trustfulness and lovingness of it, has opened my eyes (that were so
firmly shut) to the possibilities and beauties of matrimony."

"At any rate," said my mother, "you haven't talked yourself entirely
out."

"Well, you see, I was a listener today. Part of the time I was
lectured on the empty life I lead, and then I was almost persuaded that
I ought to fall in love with Evelyn Gray, and she with me. I shouldn't
wonder if Mrs. Fulton bullied us into it before she got through."

"It would be a delightful marriage," said my mother with enthusiasm,
"for everybody."

"With the possible exception of Evelyn and me."

Just after this Evelyn, who was great friends with my mother, came in
without being announced, and said that she was famished, and that she
put herself entirely in our hands. So we fed her tea, toast, hot
biscuits, three kinds of sandwiches, and as many kinds of cakes. And
she finished off with a tumbler full of thick cream.

"Been sitting by your window lately," I asked, "looking at the moon?"

"_He_ thinks," Evelyn complained to my mother, "that delicate
sentiments and a hearty appetite don't go together. But we know
better, don't we?"

"When I'm in love," I said, "I eat like a canary bird. I just waste
away. Don't I, mother?"

"Fall in love with somebody," said my mother, "and I'll tell you."

"Nobody encourages me," I said; "my life has been one long rebuff, I
remind myself of a dog with muddy paws; whenever I start to jump up I
get a whack on the nose."

"Your sad lot," said Evelyn, "is almost the only topic of conversation
among sympathetic people. But of course, if you _will_ have muddy
paws----!"

"And yet, seriously," I said; "somewhere in this wide world there must
be one girl in whose eyes I might succeed in passing myself off as a
hero. I wish to heaven I had her address--a little cream?"

Evelyn scorned the hospitable suggestion and reached for her gloves and
riding crop.

"I came to see you," she said to my mother, "really I did. And I've
done nothing but eat. I'm coming again soon when there's nobody here
but you, and the larder is low."

"Good Lord!" I said, when we had reached the front gate. "Where's your
pony?"

"I sent him away," she said; "I'm walking. And you _don't have_ to see
me home."

"But if I want to? And anyway it's too late and dark for you to walk
home alone. Once up