ell, anyhow, when he comes you must wear that little
rose flowered house dress and put a wreath of green leaves in your
hair."

"Oh, I won't do anything of the sort, Babyette," exclaimed Angela.

"Yes, you will," replied her sister. "Now you just have to do what I
tell you for once. That dress looks beautiful on you and the wreath will
make it perfect."

"It isn't the dress. I know that's nice. It's the wreath."

Marietta was incensed by this bit of pointless reserve.

"Oh, Angela," she exclaimed, "don't be so silly. You're older than I am,
but I know more about men in a minute than you'll ever know. Don't you
want him to like you? You'll have to be more daring--goodness! Lots of
girls would go a lot farther than that."

She caught her sister about the waist and looked into her eyes. "Now
you've got to wear it," she added finally, and Angela understood that
Marietta wanted her to entice Eugene by any means in her power to make
him declare himself finally and set a definite date or take her back to
New York with him.

There were other conversations in which a trip to the lake was
suggested, games of tennis, with Angela wearing her white tennis suit
and shoes, a country dance which might be got up--there were rumors of
one to be given in the new barn of a farmer some seven miles away.
Marietta was determined that Angela should appear youthful, gay, active,
just the things which she knew instinctively would fascinate Eugene.

Finally Eugene came. He arrived at Blackwood at noon. Despite her
objections Angela met him, dressed smartly and, as urged by Marietta,
carrying herself with an air. She hoped to impress Eugene with a sense
of independence, but when she saw him stepping down from the train in
belted corduroy travelling suit with a grey English travelling cap,
carrying a green leather bag of the latest design, her heart misgave
her. He was so worldly now, so experienced. You could see by his manner
that this country place meant little or nothing to him. He had tasted of
the world at large.

Angela had stayed in her buggy at the end of the depot platform and she
soon caught Eugene's eye and waved to him. He came briskly forward.

"Why, sweet," he exclaimed, "here you are. How nice you look!" He jumped
up beside her, surveying her critically and she could feel his examining
glance. After the first pleasant impression he sensed the difference
between his new world and hers and was a little depressed by it. She