!

"Not yet; but I see she has taken up that--that--"

"Hendrik?" asked Grace, and frowned.

Mr. Goodchild nodded. Then he asked, suspiciously:

"You haven't seen him?"

"Yes; but not to--well, he hasn't made--he has kept his word to you. And
the newspapers don't print anything about sandwiches."

"No--damn 'em!" he muttered.

"I thought you didn't want them to."

"I don't want you to have anything to do with him. It is perfectly
absurd to think of marrying a fellow like that--"

"He can marry anybody now," she told him. Thinking of this made her so
angry that she said, "He hypnotizes people so they think he is--"

"I know what he is," he interrupted. "I'd like to--"

"I suppose you would," she acquiesced; "but you can't deny he is an
extraordinary person, and--"

"Do you love him?" he interrupted.

Grace hesitated. She had to in order to be honest.

"I--I don't know," she answered, finally.

"Great Scott! Do you mean to say you don't know that?"

"No; I don't," she replied, tartly.

She thought of H. R., of all he had done, of all he had said to her, of
all he might yet do. And then she thought of the way H. R. had been
taken up by the people at whose homes she dined and danced. She shook
her head dubiously.

"Well, finish!" said her father, impatiently.

"He makes people do what he wants them to," she said, slowly; "though he
says he will do what I wish him to do, and--"

"Can you make him do what he doesn't want to do?" challenged her father,
with his first gleam of sense.

She thought of H. R.'s love of her.

"Yes," she said, thrilled at the thought of her power.

"Then make him give you up!"

Her father permitted himself a smile of incredulity, which made her say:

"I will!"

Mr. Goodchild rose. He patted her cheek encouragingly and said:

"I think you will, my dear."

"I am going to make him--"

"I beg pardon, but Miss Goodchild is wanted at the telephone, sir,"
announced Frederick.

Grace went to answer the phone. It was Marion Molyneux who spoke.

"Is it true, Grace, that your engagement with H. R. is off?"

"Who told you?" naturally asked Grace before she could think of anything
else.

"Why, everybody is talking about it; and--"

"Everybody knows my business better than I do."

"Well, they say Mrs. Vandergilt doesn't give him time to--"

"Is he engaged to her?"

"Oh, dear! You are angry, aren't you? Well, I am glad it isn't true.
Good-by."

How could the engage