ed Mrs. Kingsley,
influenced by the stronger spirit. "Maybe Lane hated the new styles. I
don't blame him much. There's something wrong with our young people.
The girls are crazy. The boys are wild. Few of them are marrying--or
even getting engaged. They'll do _anything_. The times are different.
And we mothers don't know our daughters."

"Well, I know _mine_" returned Mrs. Maynard, loftily. "What you say
may be true generally, but there are exceptions. My daughter has been
too well brought up."

"Yes, Margie is well-bred," retorted Mrs. Wrapp. "We'll admit she
hasn't gone to extremes, as most of our girls have. But I want to
observe to you that she has been a wall-flower for a year."

"It certainly _is_ a problem," sighed Mrs. Kingsley. "I feel
helpless--out of it. Elinor does precisely what she wants to do. She
wears outlandish clothes. She smokes and--I'm afraid drinks. And
dances--_dreadfully._ Just like the other girls--no better, no worse.
But with all that I think she's good. I feel the same as Jane feels
about that. In spite of this--this modern stuff I believe all the
girls are fundamentally the same as ten years ago."

"Well, that's where you mothers get in wrong," declared Mrs. Wrapp
with her vigorous bluntness. "It's your pride. Just because they're
_your_ daughters they are above reproach.... What have you to say
about the war babies in town? Did you ever hear of _that_ ten years
ago? You bet you didn't. These girls are a speedy set. Some of them
are just wild for the sake of wildness. Most of them _have_ to stand
for things, or be left out altogether."

"What in the world can we do?" queried Mrs. Maynard, divided between
distress and chagrin.

"The good Lord only knows," responded Mrs. Wrapp, herein losing her
assurance. "Marriage would save most of them. But Helen doesn't want
to marry. She wants to paint pictures and be free."

"Perhaps marriage is a solution," rejoined Mrs. Maynard thoughtfully.

"Whom on earth can we marry them to?" asked Mrs. Kingsley. "Most of
the older men, the bachelors who're eligible haven't any use for these
girls except to _play_ with them. True, these young boys only think of
little but dances, car-rides, and sneaking off alone to spoon--they
get engaged to this girl and that one. But nothing comes of it."

"You're wrong. Never in my time have I seen girls find lovers and
husbands as easily as now," declared Mrs. Wrapp. "Nor get rid of them
so quickly.... Jane, you c