fer house itself I want some information. Has it an
agent, a--"

"Of course it has an agent, and here is his name."

Mr. Brown presented her with a card on which he had hastily written both
name and address.

She thanked him, dropped him a mocking curtsey full of charm, whispered
"Don't tell father," and was gone.

Her manner to the man she next interviewed was very different. As soon
as she saw him she subsided into her usual society manner. With just a
touch of the conceit of the successful debutante, she announced herself
as Miss Strange of Seventy-second Street. Her business with him was in
regard to the possible renting of the Shaffer house. She had an old lady
friend who was desirous of living downtown.

In passing through Seventeenth Street, she had noticed that the old
Shaffer house was standing empty and had been immediately struck with
the advantages it possessed for her elderly friend's occupancy. Could it
be that the house was for rent? There was no sign on it to that effect,
but--etc.

His answer left her nothing to hope for.

"It is going to be torn down," he said.

"Oh, what a pity!" she exclaimed. "Real colonial, isn't it! I wish I
could see the rooms inside before it is disturbed. Such doors and such
dear old-fashioned mantelpieces as it must have! I just dote on the
Colonial. It brings up such pictures of the old days; weddings,
you know, and parties;--all so different from ours and so much more
interesting."

Is it the chance shot that tells? Sometimes. Violet had no especial
intention in what she said save as a prelude to a pending request,
but nothing could have served her purpose better than that one word,
wedding. The agent laughed and giving her his first indulgent look,
remarked genially:

"Romance is not confined to those ancient times. If you were to enter
that house to-day you would come across evidences of a wedding as
romantic as any which ever took place in all the seventy odd years of
its existence. A man and a woman were married there day before yesterday
who did their first courting under its roof forty years ago. He has been
married twice and she once in the interval; but the old love held firm
and now at the age of sixty and over they have come together to finish
their days in peace and happiness. Or so we will hope."

"Married! married in that house and on the day that--"

She caught herself up in time. He did not notice the break.

"Yes, in memory of those old days