rdings were not going to stay in town all the winter. They were
here now because of a fire at their country place, but it would only be
for a little while. Neither were the TenEycks. It couldn't be that
Suzanne was interested in some man. The only person she cared much about
was Eugene Witla, and he was married and only friendly in a brotherly,
guardian-like way.

"Now, Suzanne," she said determinedly, "I'm not going to have you talk
nonsense. This trip will be a delightful thing for you once you have
started. It's useless for you to let a silly notion like not wanting to
go stand in your way. You are just at the time when you ought to travel.
Now you had better begin to prepare yourself, for we're going."

"Oh, no, I'm not, mama," said Suzanne. "Why, you talk as though I were a
very little girl. I don't want to go this fall and I'm not going. You
may go if you want to, but I'm not going."

"Why, Suzanne Dale!" exclaimed her mother. "Whatever has come over you?
Of course you'll go. Where would you stay if I went? Do you think I
would walk off and leave you? Have I ever before?"

"You did when I was at boarding school," interrupted Suzanne.

"That was a different matter. Then you were under proper supervision.
Mrs. Hill was answerable to me for your care. Here you would be alone.
What do you think I would be doing?"

"There you go, mama, talking as though I was a little girl again. Will
you please remember that I am nearly nineteen? I know how to look after
myself. Besides, there are plenty of people with whom I might stay if I
chose."

"Suzanne Dale, you talk like one possessed. I'll listen to nothing of
the sort. You are my daughter, and as such, subject to my guardianship.
Of what are you thinking? What have you been reading? There's some silly
thing at the bottom of all this. I'll not go away and leave you and you
will come with me. I should think that after all these years of devotion
on my part, you would take my feelings into consideration. How can you
stand there and argue with me in this way?"

"Arguing, mama?" asked Suzanne loftily. "I'm not arguing. I'm just not
going. I have my reasons for not wanting to go, and I'm not going,
that's all! Now you may go if you want to."

Mrs. Dale looked into Suzanne's eyes and saw for the first time a gleam
of real defiance in them. What had brought this about? Why was her
daughter so set--of a sudden, so stubborn and hard? Fear, anger,
astonishment, mingled equall