n dreams we can have men as we
like them, and women as we want them, and make all the world happy and
beautiful."

She was in no hurry of feeling or movement. She had been in a crowd for
some hours, and was glad to be quite alone and talk to herself a little.
It was also so restful to gradually relinquish all the restraining gauds
of fashionable attire, and as she leisurely performed these duties, she
entered into conversation with her own heart--talked over with it the
events of the past week, and decided that its fretless days, full of
good things, had been, from the beginning to the end, sweet as a cup of
new milk. For a woman's heart is very talkative, and requires little to
make it eloquent in its own way.

In the midst of this intimate companionship she turned her head, and
saw two letters lying upon a table. She rose and lifted them. One was an
invitation to a studio reception, and she let it flutter indeterminately
from her hand; the other was both familiar and appealing; none of her
correspondents but Dora Denning used that peculiar shade of blue paper,
and she instantly began to wonder why Dora had written to her.

"I saw her yesterday afternoon," she reflected, "and she told me
everything she had to tell--and what does she-mean by such a tantalizing
message as this? 'Dearest Ethel: I have the most extraordinary news.
Come to me immediately. Dora.' How exactly like Dora!" she commented.
"Come to me im-mediately--whether you are in bed or asleep--whether
you are sick or well--whether it is midnight or high noon--come to
me immediately. Well, Dora, I am going to sleep now, and to-morrow is
Sunday, and I never know what view father is going to take of Sunday. He
may ask me to go to church with him, and he may not. He may want me to
drive in the afternoon, and again he may not; but Sunday is father's
home day, and Ruth and I make a point of obliging him in regard to it.
That is one of our family principles; and a girl ought to have a few
principles of conduct involving self-denial. Aunt Ruth says, 'Life
cannot stand erect without self-denial,' and aunt is usually right--but
I do wonder what Dora wants! I cannot imagine what extraordinary news
has come. I must try and see her to-morrow--it may be difficult--but I
must make the effort"--and with this satisfying resolution she easily
fell asleep.

When she awoke the church bells were ringing and she knew that her
father and aunt would have breakfasted. The feet d