. "Katherine, you are a very lucky
girl."

"Because I am going to marry a rich man for his money?" I said coldly.

Sometimes I get snippy with Alicia these days.

"No," said my half-sister in an exasperated way. "Why will you persist
in speaking in that way? You are very provoking. It is not likely I
would wish to see you throw yourself away on a poor man, and I'm sure
you must like Gus."

"Oh, yes, I like him well enough," I said listlessly. "To be sure, I
did think once, in my salad days, that liking wasn't quite all in an
affair of this kind. I was absurd enough to imagine that love had
something to do with it."

"Don't talk so nonsensically," said Alicia sharply. "Love! Well, of
course, you ought to love your husband, and you will. He loves you
enough, at all events."

"Alicia," I said earnestly, looking her straight in the face and
speaking bluntly enough to have satisfied even Jack's love of
straightforwardness, "you married for money and position, so people
say. Are you happy?"

For the first time that I remembered, Alicia blushed. She was very
angry.

"Yes, I did marry for money," she said sharply, "and I don't regret
it. Thank heaven, I never was a fool."

"Don't be vexed, Alicia," I entreated. "I only asked because--well, it
is no matter."

* * * * *

Montreal, Jan. 25, 18--.

It is bedtime, but I am too excited and happy and miserable to sleep.
Jack has been here--dear old Jack! How glad I was to see him.

His coming was so unexpected. I was sitting alone in my room this
afternoon--I believe I was moping--when Bessie brought up his card. I
gave it one rapturous look and tore downstairs, passing Alicia in the
hall like a whirlwind, and burst into the drawing-room in a most
undignified way.

"Jack!" I cried, holding out both hands to him in welcome.

There he was, just the same old Jack, with his splendid big shoulders
and his lovely brown eyes. And his necktie was crooked, too; as soon
as I could get my hands free I put them up and straightened it out for
him. How nice and old-timey that was!

"So you are glad to see me, Kitty?" he said as he squeezed my hands in
his big strong paws.

"'Deed and 'deed I am, Jack. I thought you had forgotten me
altogether. And I've been so homesick and so--so everything," I said
incoherently. "And, oh, Jack, I've so many questions to ask I don't
know where to begin. Tell me all the Thrush