now?" thought Mr. Evringham. "You don't look well, Madge," he
said aloud.

Once she would have welcomed the evidence of solicitude. Now nothing
mattered.

"I don't feel well," she replied, "and I can't even call the physician I
prefer."

Mr. Evringham stared down at her for a silent minute, and light broke
upon him.

"Is it all off with Ballard?" he asked bluntly.

"Yes; and that's what you have done, father, by allowing that child
Jewel to come here."

Mr. Evringham bit his lip. This amused him.

"Eloise has mounted the new hobby, and is riding for dear life away from
common sense, away from everything that promised such happiness."

"Do you mean Christian Science?"

"Of course I do."

"It's a strange thing, Madge. Do you know, it captures people with good
heads." Mr. Evringham seated himself near his daughter's chair. "I
came out on the train with my friend Reeves. He was talking about young
Bonnell, of whom you spoke last night. Said his mother was cured when
the doctors couldn't do anything. You know her, eh?"

"As well as if she were my own flesh and blood."

"Is it a fact, what they say?"

"She was considered incurable. I know nothing about the rest of it.
Nat was telling me yesterday. Now he is probably infatuated also, and,
sooner or later, Eloise is sure to meet him."

"H'm, h'm. An old flame, you said," remarked Mr. Evringham. "Indeed!
In--deed! I trust for your sake, Madge, that his is not objectionable to
you."

"He is," snapped Mrs. Evringham. "A poor fellow, with his way to make
in the world. He's been out of college a couple of years and hasn't done
anything worth speaking of yet."

"Reeves is going to take him into the business," returned Mr. Evringham.
"I don't know why or wherefore, but the mere fact is decidedly
promising."

"Oh, who can tell if that will last!" returned the other with scornful
pessimism. "Nat has let too many cotillions to do anything else well. I
can only pray that he will get away without seeing Eloise. Mrs. Bonnell
has invited us to make her a visit this summer. I certainly shall not go
one step!"

A sudden sound of laughter was heard on the quiet air. Mrs. Evringham
leaned forward. "There are the children now," she said, as
figures turned in at the gateway; "and who is that? It is"--with
desperation,--"he's here! Nat Bonnell is with them!"

She sat upright with disapproval, clasping the arm of her chair, while
her father-in-law looked curiously at the a