man who "liked dogs in their proper place," by which
statement one may measure the depth of his liking very accurately.

There was the occasion on which Mrs. Rose, being pressed by a
mischievous fellow-guest, had accepted a cigarette under the impression
the other ladies were about to do likewise--an impression quickly
dispelled by the stony glare of her hostess and the ominous whispers of
the other women.

The hostess, indeed, had uttered one short, biting comment which had
reduced Toni, already overwhelmed by the magnitude of her offence,
almost to tears; but though it is only fair to say that her tempter
apologized most handsomely, and was her firm friend and defender ever
afterwards, the description of Mrs. Rose as a half-foreign and
wholly-Bohemian young woman, of cigarette-smoking tendencies, was duly
retailed at several dinner-tables during the following weeks.

At first Toni took her social failures very much to heart; but Owen, who
was no snob, reassured her valiantly; and since Toni was only too
anxious to be comforted she did her best to dismiss these unpleasant
experiences from her mind.

Presently, indeed, she found two congenial spirits. The doctor's pretty
old house, known locally as Cherry Orchard, harboured two lively and
athletic young women who were only too pleased to be friends with the
merry and vivacious Toni. They were honest, unintellectual girls,
enthusiastic over all sports and excelling in most; and they took Toni
to their sporting hearts and promised to introduce her to the local
tennis and golf clubs without loss of time.

On her part, Toni felt at ease with them immediately, and when once she
had learned to distinguish between Molly and Cynthia--a distinction made
the more difficult owing to their peculiar habit of addressing each
other as Toby--she thoroughly enjoyed their companionship.

In the matter of tennis, Toni, who had only played occasionally at a
third-rate suburban club, was at first no match for them; but the two
Tobies, who were the essence of good nature, coached her so well and so
vigorously that before long she was a capital player; and when once Toni
realized that Owen wished her to be as hospitable as she could possibly
desire to be, she rejoiced in giving little impromptu tea-parties on the
lawn, under the shade of one of the noble elms which were a feature of
Greenriver.

Sometimes she took the girls motoring; and between tennis, golf, river
picnics and motor