, gently.

"Oh! I am not unhappy; I am only discontented," Nattie replied.

"You are somewhat contradictory in your statements," said Clem, as they
went on again, for she also had stopped. "Is it office troubles that
annoy you? Poor little girl, it _is_ a monotonous life!"

Nattie flushed at the tenderness in his voice.

"That is one thing," she replied, a little tremblingly, "but I want
something to work for, as Cyn has. I am ambitious; my present position
can never content me; I am haunted all the time by an uneasy
consciousness that if I was smart I should be doing something to get
ahead; and yet, I don't know what to do!"

"I remember you once said something about becoming a writer; why not try
that?" suggested Clem.

They had reached their own landing at the hotel, and paused. The
remainder of the party had disappeared.

"It seems so hopeless," Nattie answered, dispiritedly; "there is no
opening anywhere."

"But it will never do to wait for that, you know. If the world is a
closed oyster, we must open it. Isn't that the way Cyn did?" said Clem,
half surmising the realization of the difference between Cyn's brilliant
success and her own plodding along that had caused her dejection; and as
he spoke, he took her hand in his, but Nattie snatched it quickly away.

"Ah! Cyn!" she said in sudden and uncontrollable jealousy, "of course
_you_ could never expect me to compare with her!"

Clem looked at her a moment, then some emotion flushed his face, and he
would have spoken had not Miss Kling, disgusted with her inability to
catch a word from inside, opened her door, saying sharply,

"Are you coming in, Miss Rogers?"

"Certainly," Nattie replied quickly, and already ashamed of her jealous
outburst. "Good night, Clem."

"But will you not come over and congratulate Cyn on her success?" he
asked, detaining her. "I heard a carriage just stop, and think she is in
it."

"Not to-night; to-morrow," said Nattie, hastily, and left him before he
could again urge the request.

"Oh!" said Miss Kling, as Nattie closed the door behind her, "was that
Mr. Stanwood who came home with you?"

"Yes;" Nattie answered, briefly. "I should hardly have thought Miss
Archer would have allowed it!" remarked Miss Kling, with a sneeze.

"I don't know why she should have forbidden it!" replied Nattie, coldly,
yet looking somewhat startled. Poor Nattie's nerves were decidedly
unstrung to-night.

"You do not mean to say that you are