h a knife by this terrific charge. He had
not meant anything by concealing her presence, he thought. He had only
endeavored to protect himself very slightly, temporarily.

"You oughtn't to say that, Angela," he pleaded. "There aren't any more
that don't know--at least any more that I care anything about. I didn't
think. I didn't mean to conceal anything. I'll write to everybody that
might be interested."

He still felt hurt that she should brutally attack him this way even in
her sorrow. He was wrong, no doubt, but she? Was this a way to act, this
the nature of true love? He mentally writhed and twisted.

Taking her up in his arms, smoothing her hair, he asked her to forgive
him. Finally, when she thought she had punished him enough, and that he
was truly sorry and would make amends in the future, she pretended to
listen and then of a sudden threw her arms about his neck and began to
hug and kiss him. Passion, of course, was the end of this, but the whole
thing left a disagreeable taste in Eugene's mouth. He did not like
scenes. He preferred the lofty indifference of Miriam, the gay
subterfuge of Norma, the supreme stoicism of Christina Channing. This
noisy, tempestuous, angry emotion was not quite the thing to have
introduced into his life. He did not see how that would make for love
between them.

Still Angela was sweet, he thought. She was a little girl--not as wise
as Norma Whitmore, not as self-protective as Miriam Finch or Christina
Channing. Perhaps after all she needed his care and affection. Maybe it
was best for her and for him that he had married her.

So thinking he rocked her in his arms, and Angela, lying there, was
satisfied. She had won a most important victory. She was starting right.
She was starting Eugene right. She would get the moral, mental and
emotional upper hand of him and keep it. Then these women, who thought
themselves so superior, could go their way. She would have Eugene and he
would be a great man and she would be his wife. That was all she wanted.

CHAPTER IV

The result of Angela's outburst was that Eugene hastened to notify those
whom he had not already informed--Shotmeyer, his father and mother,
Sylvia, Myrtle, Hudson Dula--and received in return cards and letters of
congratulation expressing surprise and interest, which he presented to
Angela in a conciliatory spirit. She realized, after it was all over,
that she had given him an unpleasant shock, and was anxious to ma