another kiss Ethel left the room.

CHAPTER III

GRANDMOTHER HOLLISTER

Old Mrs. Hollister's room was on the third floor back. It was large and
sunny, but considering that she owned the house it was rather peculiar
that she had such an inferior room. She and her sister Susan were the
only children of Josiah Carpenter, a wealthy man living in Akron, Ohio.
Upon his death the girls found themselves alone and heiresses. Alice,
while visiting in New York, met Archibald Hollister, who belonged to an
old and respected family but who was of no earthly account as a business
man. His handsome face won pretty Alice Carpenter. He was not long in
spending nearly all of her fortune, but he really was considerate enough
to contract pneumonia and die before he obtained possession of her
house, which fortunately was in her name and unmortgaged.

She had two sons--John, Kate's father, who lived in Columbus, Ohio, and
Archibald with whom she now made her home. Archibald loved his mother
and begged her to let him pay her rent for the house, but she replied
that if he would pay the taxes and keep the house in repair it would
equal the rent.

Her sister Susan still lived in the same town where they had been born.
She had never married. People told Archibald Hollister that his Aunt
Susan was a millionaire. Every investment that she made was successful.
She had adopted and educated two orphan boys, one of whom had died,
while the other was finishing college, after which he was to become a
lawyer. Aunt Susan seldom wrote of herself. She corresponded with Alice
(Grandmother Hollister) about twice a year, and at Christmas she
invariably sent her a generous check.

Grandmother Hollister and her son were alike in many ways. They were
free from all false pride and privately they considered Mrs. Hollister a
snob, and worried lest Ethel should become one. Archibald seldom
asserted himself, but when he did his word was law. While his wife was
a social climber he was exactly the opposite. He had been known to bring
home the most disreputable looking men--men who had been his friends in
youth and who were playing in hard luck. He would ask them to dinner
without even sending word, and his wife would invariably plead a sick
headache to get rid of sitting with them. She dared not interfere nor
object for she was just a little afraid of him and she realized that in
nearly everything he allowed her to have her own way.

Mrs. Hollister told Et