"Next time I shall prepare both lunches," she declared.

"That will be very nice," he nodded.

CHAPTER XIX

A LETTER

Letter from Miss Frances Stuyvesant to Donald Pendleton, Esq.:--

PARIS, FRANCE, June 20.

DEAR OLD DON:--

I'm having a very good time, Don, dear, and I know you'll be glad to
hear that. Dolly has a great many friends in Paris, and so has Dad,
and so has Chic. Between them all we are very gay. But it is raining
to-day, and somehow I've been worrying about your being in town with
nothing to do but work. I do hope you are taking care of yourself and
running to the shore or the mountains for the week-ends.

Now I must hurry up and dress; but please remember that I am still, as
always,

Your FRANCES.

CHAPTER XX

STARS

At lunch one warm Wednesday, Don suggested to Miss Winthrop that after
the close of business they take a car for the beach instead of going
to their respective homes.

"We can go down there, have our supper, and then get out of the crowd
and smell the ocean awhile," he said.

He had a knack for putting in a most reasonable light anything he
wished to do. It was a feature of his selling gift, and she recognized
it as such.

"What do you say?" he pressed her.

She blushed at her own hesitancy.

"Oh, I'll go," she answered.

The incident remained uppermost in her thoughts all the rest of the
afternoon. If she had known about this excursion the day before, she
would have put on a different shirt-waist. She had a new silk waist
which was very pretty and which she had meant to wear next Sunday.

He met her at the Elevated station, but it was she who had to direct
him to the proper trolley for Coney, or they might have landed
anywhere along the Sound.

Stopping only long enough to buy an ice for supper and a bag of
peanuts, they sought the beach. He threw himself down full length on
the sand, and she sat with her hands clasped over her knees. The salt
air swept her cheeks and cooled them, and the waves before her ran up
the beach in play and song. This was certainly a decided improvement
over such a night in her room.

"See those stars!" he exclaimed, as if this were the first time he had
ever seen them.

She lifted her eyes and looked at them.

"I often look at them," she said.

Then she laughed gently to herself.

"Do you know what I do when I'm silly enough to want jewels?" she
asked.

"What?"

"I take a look at those stars, and