ris widened the field of Nancy's vision, and old friends came
happily to the front.

It is not wholly ignoble, the marriage market. To understand the game of
life is to be prepared, and women like Doris Fletcher were not entirely
self-seeking when they presented their best to what they believed should
be the best. Nancy was worthy, as Martin often said, to carry on the
truest American tradition of womanhood, so it became a reverent concern
to help this matter personally, and nationally, on its course.

Young men swarmed about Nancy because, as Mrs. Tweksbury truly said, the
_ideal_ was in their hearts and they were stirred by it.

And Nancy was radiant and lovely. She blossomed and throbbed--she was
happy and appreciative. She was charming to everyone, but ran to Cameron
for safety and kept her sweet eyes on Raymond.

So secretly did she do this that no one but Cameron suspected it. The
perfectly serene atmosphere that surrounded him and Nancy permitted him
to understand the state of affairs.

When a girl uses a man as a buffer between her and others he does not
confuse things.

For a short time Cameron debated as to which particular man Nancy wanted
him to save her for while he was preserving her from the mass. It did
not take him long to decide. He grinned at the truth when it struck him.
He was surprised, as men usually are, at a woman's choice of males.
Cameron liked Raymond; thought him a good sort, but herd-bound.

"But Nancy's got the brand mark, too," he reflected. "They're both
headed in the same direction, only Raymond doesn't know it--a woman
always finds things out first, and it's up to me, I guess, to lasso
Raymond for her."

So Cameron took up the "big brother" burden and steered the unsuspecting
Raymond to his fate.

Cameron did this in a masterly way. He blinded everyone except Nancy.

Doris sighed with content, and Martin lifted his eyes in praise and
gratitude. Mrs. Tweksbury, like a war-horse smelling powder, saw danger
to her plans and quickened Raymond to what was going on.

At first Raymond was relieved--he wished Cameron good luck. Having done
that, he began to wonder if he really did?

There was something unutterably sweet about Nancy: she was so purely
the kind of woman that made life a success. Why should he play straight
into Cameron's hand? If Nancy really preferred Cameron, why, then--but
did she?

This was interesting. He took to watching; presently he concluded that
Cameron