remain with some friend until the
business is settled. So the Grandons' invitation is cordially accepted.

Mr. Murray spends the next two days in the city, while Mr. Grandon is
busy with his own affairs, as on the evening of the third they are to
start for Chicago. He finds his daughter serenely happy and not yet at
the end of pleasures.

"But I think you had better be careful about the young man, Polly,"
says her father, as they are promenading the lawn at the river's edge,
in confidential chat.

"Be careful!" Miss Murray's fair face is a vivid scarlet, and she fans
herself violently with her chip hat, as if overcome with the heat.

"Yes, he is a handsome young man, but----"

"And he is pleasant, he has a lovely temper, and--and--I don't know why
you should find fault with him, papa," she answers, warmly.

"Why, I have not found fault with him"; and there is a funny twinkle in
her father's eye.

"When people say 'but' it always seems like finding fault," says Miss
Murray, resentfully.

"Well, don't _you_ break the young man's heart. I have a regard for him
myself."

Pauline Murray laughs lightly.

"And keep your own in a good condition," advises her father.

But as they stand together on the porch bidding him good by, they
appear quite to belong to each other. Mr. Murray understands him pretty
well. He has no great inclination for business, but he seems to have no
special vices, and can be easily governed by a liberal indulgence in
money matters. There might be worse sons-in-law. The Grandons are a
good old family, and carry weight, and Mr. Murray, whose taste is
altogether for manufacturing, fancies he sees in this business both
interest and profit. So if Polly and the young man decide to like each
other--

Eugene Grandon would no doubt fly out indignantly if he fancied his
matrimonial matters were being settled by older and as they think wiser
heads. For once he is fortunately blind. He likes Pauline Murray
because, if she is not the rose, she brings the scent of it continually
within his reach. Every day Violet grows more charming and the distance
between them lessens. He thinks nothing now of looking her up, of
following her about, of planning drives and walks, and while the heads
are away, he is cavalier to both ladies. They discuss various tender
points and come to love. Eugene no longer sneers and treats it lightly.
Violet is touched by the gentle lowering of tone, the faint hesitation,
the soft