er splendid, unsmiling eyes toward him.

"Mr. Polk. How do you do? Yes, indeed, I remember you," she said,
unenthusiastically. "How is Mr. Gilbert?"

"Uncle John? Oh, he's fine!" said young Polk, rapturously. "I wonder
why he didn't tell me you were spending the summer here!"

"I don't tell any one," said Julie, simply. "My winters are so crowded
that I try to get away from people in the summer."

"Oh!" said the boy, a little blankly. There was an instant's pause
before he added rather uncomfortably:

"Miss Ives--Miss Carter has been so anxious to meet you--"

"How do you do, Miss Carter?" said Julie, promptly, politely. She gave
her young adorer a ready hand. The usually poised Dancing Girl could
not recall at the moment one of the things she had planned to say when
this great moment came. But she thought of them all as she lay in bed
that night, and the conviction that she had bungled the long-wished-for
interview made her burn from her heels to the lobes of her ears. What
HAD she said? Something about having longed for this opportunity, which
the actress hadn't answered, and something about her desperate
admiration for Miss Ives, at which Miss Ives had merely smiled. Other
things were said, or half said--the girl reviewed them mercilessly in
the dark--and then the interview had terminated, rather flatly. Marian
Carter writhed at the recollection.

But the morning brought courage. She passed Julie, who was fresh from a
plunge in the ocean, and briskly attacking a late breakfast, on her way
from the dining-room.

"Good morning, Miss Ives! Isn't it a lovely morning?"

"Oh, good morning, Miss Carter. I beg pardon--?"

"I said, 'Isn't it a lovely morning?'"

"Oh--? Yes, quite delightful."

"Miss Ives--but I'm interrupting you?"

Julie gave her book a glance and raised her eyes expectantly to Miss
Carter's face, but did not speak.

"Miss Ives," said Miss Carter, a little confusedly, "mamma was
wondering if you've taken the trip to Fletcher's Forest? We've our
motor-car here, you know, and they serve a very good lunch at the Inn."

"Oh, thank you, no!" said Julie, positively. "VERY good of you--but I'm
with the Arbuthnots, you know. Thank you, no."

"I hoped you would," said Miss Carter, disappointed. "I know you use a
motor in town," she answered daringly. "You see I know all about you!"

Miss Ives paid to this confession only the small tribute of raised
eyebrows and an absent smile. She was quite at he