dently with sincere regrets
that he made his apologies after dinner, and left the house with a plea
of business.

"It's always that way when I want him!" exclaimed Kate petulantly.
"Then night after night when I don't want him he'll stay at home and
read and smoke."

"But you have friends--you go out," hazarded Mrs. Howland.

Mrs. Blake raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, of course! But, after all, what do calls and receptions amount
to? You always meet the same people who say the same things, whether
you go to see them or they come to see you."

Mrs. Howland laughed; then she said, softly,

"The old, old story, Kate,--the crumbs on the plates."

"What?" demanded the younger woman in frank amazement. There was a
moment's pause during which she gazed blankly into her aunt's eyes.
"Oh!--that?" she added, coloring painfully; then she uptilted her chin.
"You are very much mistaken, auntie," she resumed with some dignity.
"It is nothing of the sort. I am very happy--very happy,
indeed!"--positively. "I have a good husband, a pretty home, more
money than is good for me, and--well, everything," she finished a
little breathlessly.

Again Mrs. Howland laughed, but her face grew almost instantly grave.

"And yet, my dear," she said gently, "scarcely one thing has been
mentioned since I came that was quite right."

"Oh, Aunt Ellen, how can you say such a dreadful thing!"

"Listen," replied Mrs. Howland; "it's little bits of things that you
don't think of. It has grown on you without your realizing it: the
horses did n't both have stars; the house was n't on Commonwealth
Avenue; the rooms are too high or too low studded; the roast was
over-done; your husband could n't"--

"Oh, auntie, auntie, I beg of you!"--interrupted Kate hysterically.

"Are you convinced, then?"

Kate shook her head. "I can't, auntie--I can't believe it!" she cried.
"It--it can't be like that always. There must have been special things
to-day that plagued me. Auntie, I'm not such a--monster!"

"Hm-m; well--will you consent to an experiment to--er--find out?"

"Indeed I will!" returned Kate promptly.

"Very good! Every time I hear those little dissatisfied
fault-findings, I am going to mention crumbs or plates or china. I
think you'll understand. Is it a bargain?"

"It's a bargain," agreed Kate, and she smiled confidently.

The rest of the evening Mrs. Blake kept close guard over her tongue.
Twice a "but" and once an "only" slipped out