de, feel almost like a prince. And now Frances
was beginning to sense it. Don felt his heart quicken.

"This is all you need," he whispered. "Just to walk out here a
little."

CHAPTER XXVI

ONE STUYVESANT

That evening, before Frances left Don alone in the study, she bent
over him and kissed him. Then she heard her father's footsteps and
ran. Don was remarkably cool. So was Stuyvesant; but there was nothing
remarkable about that. When his daughter told him that Don was waiting
to see him, his eyes narrowed the least bit and he glanced at his
watch. He had a bridge engagement at the club in half an hour. Then he
placed both hands on his daughter's shoulders and studied her eyes.

"What's the matter, girlie?" he asked.

"Nothing, Dad," she answered. "Only--I'm very happy."

"Good," he nodded. "And that is what I want you to be every minute of
your life."

Entering his study, Stuyvesant sat down in a big chair to the right of
the open fire and waved his hand to another opposite him.

"Frances said you wished to talk over something with me," he said.

"Yes, sir," answered Don. He did not sit down. He could think better
on his feet. "It's about our marriage."

Stuyvesant did not answer. He never answered until the other man was
through. Then he knew where he stood.

"I don't know whether or not you know the sort of will father left,"
began Don.

Stuyvesant did know, but he gave no indication of the fact. He had
been waiting a year for something of this sort.

"Anyhow," Don went on, "he took a notion to tie up most of the estate.
Except for the house--well, he left me pretty nearly strapped. Before
that, he'd been letting me draw on him for anything I wanted. When I
asked you for Frances I expected things would go on as they were.

"When the change came, I had a talk with Frances, and we agreed that
the thing to do was for me to go out and earn about the same sum Dad
had been handing to me. Ten thousand a year seemed at the time what we
needed. She said that was what her allowance had been."

Again Don paused, in the hope that Stuyvesant might wish to contribute
something to the conversation. But Stuyvesant waited for him to
continue.

"So I went out to earn it. Barton found a position for me with Carter,
Rand & Seagraves, and I started in. It's a fact I expected to get that
ten thousand inside of a year."

Don lighted a cigarette. The further he went, the less interest he was
taking in this ex