nner, and with a
mysterious air handed over to her a bulky packet of very
legal-looking papers.

"Why, papa! What is it?"

"Stock!" answered papa, with a chuckle. "Mostly Fourth National. There's
a little more than fifty thousand dollars there in your hand, Cally."

"But--why, papa!... You don't mean it for _me!_"

"A little weddin' present from your old father. I meant to give it to
you next fall, and then I thought, why wait? Had it all put in your
name to-day."

"Oh--_papa!_..."

She threw her arms around his neck, suddenly and oddly touched; not so
much by the gift, for she would have plenty of money soon, as by this
evidence of her father's affectionate thought.

"Your daughter's your daughter till she becomes a wife...." remarked Mr.
Heth. "It won't be that way, will it, Cally, eh?"

"Never in the world.... Oh, papa, how sweet--how _good_--you are to
me!..."

"You've got a fine man," said papa, presently, patting her cheek. "But
my judgment is it's always just as well for a girl to have a little
money of her own. Feels independent. You'll have more when I'm gone, of
course. That'll give you a little better'n three thousand a year.
Non-taxable, too."

She reported her new wealth to Hugo, quite proudly, within two hours.
For he had proved willing this evening to purloin night hours from his
grave duties as attorney-at-law, and by telephone had easily cajoled
Carlisle into breaking an engagement she had made for other society. In
the nicest sort of way, Canning agreed that her father had made her a
handsome dowry. He added, holding her hand tight, that she was to let
him do something for her, too, on their wedding day. Of course she must
have her own money; all she could spend.

"I can spend lots, my dear. You'll find me a frightfully expensive young
person.... There are cigarettes in the drawer, Hugo. I bought the kind
you like, this time...."

She got one for him, struck the match herself. He watched her, loafing
lordly; very handsome and dear he looked in his beautiful
evening clothes.

And thence, in the lamplit privacy of the little study,--Mr. Heth having
fared forth to a Convention "banquet,"--the talk ranged wide. Late in
the evening, it returned again to Carlisle, as the possessor of large
independent funds, a topic of pleasurable possibilities from her
standpoint.

She said idly: "Do you believe it makes you happy to give away money,
Hugo? That's a rule I heard somewhere."

"Unquestion