red doubly exciting by mamma's princely attitude toward
expense), Carlisle began to recognize once more the landmarks of her
former environment. Doubtless a certain period of emotional reaction was
inevitable, and with it the reassociation of ideas began. Canning was
away a solid month. One day soon after his return,--it was on a lovely
afternoon in early May, as they were motoring homeward after four hours'
delightful _tete-a-tete_ in Canning's own car,--Carlisle said to him:

"Oh, Hugo, what do you think I did while you were away? Subscribed a
hundred dollars to a Settlement House! My own money, too,--not papa's
at all!"

Hugo, whose intensity of interest in his betrothed seemed only to have
increased during the days of absence, cried out at her munificence.

"So, you've money, in those terms--well!" said he. "Aren't you mortally
afraid of being gobbled up by a fortune-hunter some fine day?"

"A _great_ many people have warned me about that--mentioning you
specially, by the way. But I've always told them that you loved me for
my fair face alone."

Canning made a lover's remark, a thoroughly satisfactory one.

"But don't you see," he added, "this business of your having money
changes everything. I must double my working hours, I suppose! I'm too
proud a man to be dependent on my wealthy wife for support."

"I'm glad to know you may be prosperous, too, some day, Hugo," said she;
and, after a little more frivolous talk: "Did I mention that I'm
soliciting subscriptions from visiting men for that Settlement I
spoke of?"

"Great heavens!" cried Canning, amused. "Why, don't you think a Hundred
Dollars is more than sufficient--for one little family?"

"They wouldn't say so," said Carlisle, laughing and coloring a little,
"for they're asking for twenty-five thousand dollars and have raised
about two so far. What could be more pitiful than that?"

Canning, who was driving his car to-day, as he occasionally liked to do,
then asked, why was a Settlement? And as well as she could Carlisle
retailed her rather sketchy information: how "they" planned to buy the
deserted Dabney House, make it the headquarters for all the organized
charities of the city, and use the rest of the great pile for
working-men's clubs, night classes, lodgings, gymnasiums and so forth.
Thanks to the influence of Rev. Mr. Dayne, Mrs. Heth had been induced to
lend her name as a member of the Settlement Association's organization
committee. But it was