d gravely. "It's
something to ponder and pray over. If I were Maude I should be on my knees
about it most of the time."

"Nothing can help her now," said Jack. "Her parents have been and gone and
done it, as far as she's concerned, forever. Prayer won't change her nose,
although age may broaden it still more."

"Don't you believe that nothing can help her now. A good-looking husband
could help her lots. I've seen homelier girls than she go just
everywhere--on account of their husbands, you know. That was where my
philosophy came in."

"I'd quite forgotten your philosophy." He laughed again as he spoke. "I
must apologize. Please tell me more about it."

She laughed, too.

"I'm going to. You see, I was lying there, looking out at the moon, and
thinking how nice it would be for Maude to marry you."

"Did you consider me at all?" he interposed.

"How you interrupt!" she declared, in exasperation. "You never let me
finish."

"I am dumb."

"Well, I thought how nice it would be for Maude to marry you. You'd have a
baron for a papa-in-law, and an heiress to balance Aunt Mary with. If you
went into consumption and had to retreat to Arizona for a term of years,
the climate could not ruin her complexion as it would m--most people's. And
she's so ready to have you that it's almost pathetic. I can't imagine
anything more awful than to be as ready to marry a man who is'nt at all
desirous of so doing, as Maude is of marrying you. But if you would only
think about it. I thought and thought about it last night and the longer I
thought the more it seemed like such a nice arrangement all around; and
then--all of a sudden--do you know I began to wonder if I was philosopher
enough to enjoy being matron-of-honor to Maude and really--"

"At the wedding I could have kissed you!" he exclaimed, and suddenly
subsided at the look with which she withered his boldness.

"And really I wasn't altogether sure; and then, it occurred to me that
nothing on the face of the earth would ever persuade you to marry Maude.
And I saw my card castle go smashing down, and then I saw that I really am
a philosopher, after all, for--for I didn't mind a bit!"

Jack threw his head back and roared.

"Oh," he said after a minute, "you are so refreshing. You ruffle me up
just to give me the joy of smoothing me down, don't you?"

"I do what I can to amuse you," she said, demurely. "You are my father's
guest and my brother's friend, and so I ought to--ought