tion to indulge his customary amorous
diversions.

Miss Roberts had called at the house several times, ostensibly to see
Mrs. Ryder, and when introduced to Shirley she had condescended to
give the latter a supercilious nod. Her conversation was generally
of the silly, vacuous sort, concerning chiefly new dresses or bonnets,
and Shirley at once read her character--frivolous, amusement-loving,
empty-headed, irresponsible--just the kind of girl to do something
foolish without weighing the consequences. After chatting a few
moments with Mrs. Ryder she would usually vanish, and one day,
after one of these mysterious disappearances, Shirley happened to
pass the library and caught sight of her and Mr. Bagley conversing
in subdued and eager tones. It was very evident that the elopement
scheme was fast maturing. If the scandal was to be prevented,
Jefferson ought to see his father and acquaint him with the facts
without delay. It was probable that at the same time he would make
an effort to secure the letters. Meantime she must be patient.
Too much hurry might spoil everything.

So the days passed, Shirley devoting almost all her time to the
history she had undertaken. She saw nothing of Ryder, Sr., but a
good deal of his wife, to whom she soon became much attached. She
found her an amiable, good-natured woman, entirely free from that
offensive arrogance and patronizing condescension which usually
marks the parvenue as distinct from the thoroughbred. Mrs. Ryder
had no claims to distinguished lineage; on the contrary, she was
the daughter of a country grocer when the then rising oil man
married her, and of educational advantages she had had little or
none. It was purely by accident that she was the wife of the
richest man in the world, and while she enjoyed the prestige her
husband's prominence gave her, she never allowed it to turn her
head. She gave away large sums for charitable purposes and,
strange to say, when the gift came direct from her, the money was
never returned on the plea that it was "tainted." She shared her
husband's dislike for entertaining, and led practically the life
of a recluse. The advent of Shirley, therefore, into her quiet and
uneventful existence was as welcome as sunshine when it breaks
through the clouds after days of gloom. Quite a friendship sprang
up between the two women, and when tired of writing, Shirley would
go into Mrs. Ryder's room and chat until the financier's wife
began to look forwa