she exclaimed.

"You and Mr. Kane, yes," replied her guest. "Your love
romance."

Jennie colored swiftly. "Why, I hadn't seen it," she said. "Are you
sure it was about us?"

"Why, of course," laughed Mrs. Stendahl. "How could I be mistaken?
I have the paper over at the house. I'll send Marie over with it when
I get back. You look very sweet in your picture."

Jennie winced.

"I wish you would," she said, weakly.

She was wondering where they had secured her picture, what the
article said. Above all, she was dismayed to think of its effect upon
Lester. Had he seen the article? Why had he not spoken to her about
it?

The neighbor's daughter brought over the paper, and Jennie's heart
stood still as she glanced at the title-page. There it all
was--uncompromising and direct. How dreadfully conspicuous the
headline--"This Millionaire Fell in Love With This Lady's Maid,"
which ran between a picture of Lester on the left and Jennie on the
right. There was an additional caption which explained how Lester, son
of the famous carriage family of Cincinnati, had sacrificed great
social opportunity and distinction to marry his heart's desire. Below
were scattered a number of other pictures--Lester addressing
Jennie in the mansion of Mrs. Bracebridge, Lester standing with her
before an imposing and conventional-looking parson, Lester driving
with her in a handsome victoria, Jennie standing beside the window of
an imposing mansion (the fact that it was a mansion being indicated by
most sumptuous-looking hangings) and gazing out on a very modest
working-man's cottage pictured in the distance. Jennie felt as though
she must die for very shame. She did not so much mind what it meant to
her, but Lester, Lester, how must he feel? And his family? Now they
would have another club with which to strike him and her. She tried to
keep calm about it, to exert emotional control, but again the tears
would rise, only this time they were tears of opposition to defeat.
She did not want to be hounded this way. She wanted to be let alone.
She was trying to do right now. Why couldn't the world help her,
instead of seeking to push her down?

CHAPTER XLII

The fact that Lester had seen this page was made perfectly clear to
Jennie that evening, for he brought it home himself, having concluded,
after mature deliberation, that he ought to. He had told her once that
there was to be no concealment between them, and this thing, coming so
brut