wedge and had finally succeeded in forcing her way into at least one
charmed circle of the rich and powerful through the Daughters of the
American Revolution.

She had leased a house in the fashionable neighbourhood of Gramercy
Park, and to meet the extraordinary expense, began a careful and
systematic search for rich young men to whom she could let two floors.
Stuart had seen through her scheme at once--especially as she had
insisted with increasing protestations of love that the engagement be
kept a secret until they were ready to marry.

He was sure in his heart that Nan had never joined in those plans of
her mother, though he had wished that she might have shown a little
more strength in resisting them. He trusted her implicitly, and yet she
was so beautiful he couldn't see how any man with red blood in his
veins could resist her. And he had spent two miserable years. Every
time her mother had come near, purring and smiling, he had always
expected to collide with a rival as he went out the door.

Well, he was going to win at last, and the world was full of music! He
had the biggest surprise of life in store for Nan--something no true
woman's heart could resist. He had succeeded after incredible
difficulties in secretly building a cottage by the sea in Brooklyn. Its
lawn sloped to the water's edge, and a trim boat lay nodding at the
dock. He had been out of town two weeks--ostensibly on law business in
Baltimore--in fact he had spent the time putting the finishing touches
on this home. He had planted hedges, fruit trees, vines and flowers,
and covered every bare inch of soil with fresh green sod. Neither Mrs.
Primrose nor Nan had the faintest suspicion of what he had been doing.
He had written several letters to Nan and a friend had mailed them in
Baltimore.

To-morrow he would lead his sweetheart into this holy of holies of
Life--the home Love had built. He could see now the smile of tenderness
break over her proud face as he should hand her the keys and ask her to
fix the wedding day.

No matter on what his eye rested, he could see only Beauty, Glory,
Sunlight!

An assortment of idlers, tramps, and thieves had drifted into the
Square and crowded its seats. A drunken woman, her slouchy black dress
bedraggled and drenched from the rain, lurched across the walk, dropped
on a bench and sat muttering curses at a carriage on the north side. He
had often looked at those flashing windows in the millionaire's row
be