company. I'm not as light on my
feet as I was once, but I guess I can get around."

"Oh, I don't want to dance that badly," smiled Jennie. "But you two
go on, I'm going up-stairs in a little while, anyway."

"Why don't you come sit in the ball-room? I can't do more than a
few rounds. Then we can watch the others," said Lester rising.

"No. I think I'll stay here. It's so pleasant. You go. Take him,
Mrs. Gerald."

Lester and Letty strolled away. They made a striking
pair--Mrs. Gerald in dark wine-colored silk, covered with
glistening black beads, her shapely arms and neck bare, and a flashing
diamond of great size set just above her forehead in her dark hair.
Her lips were red, and she had an engaging smile, showing an even row
of white teeth between wide, full, friendly lips. Lester's strong,
vigorous figure was well set off by his evening clothes, he looked
distinguished.

"That is the woman he should have married," said Jennie to herself
as he disappeared. She fell into a reverie, going over the steps of
her past life. Sometimes it seemed to her now as if she had been
living in a dream. At other times she felt as though she were in that
dream yet. Life sounded in her ears much as this night did. She heard
its cries. She knew its large-mass features. But back of it were
subtleties that shaded and changed one into the other like the
shifting of dreams. Why had she been so attractive to men? Why had
Lester been so eager to follow her? Could she have prevented him? She
thought of her life in Columbus, when she carried coal; to-night she
was in Egypt, at this great hotel, the chatelaine of a suite of rooms,
surrounded by every luxury, Lester still devoted to her. He had
endured so many things for her! Why? Was she so wonderful? Brander had
said so. Lester had told her so. Still she felt humble, out of place,
holding handfuls of jewels that did not belong to her. Again she
experienced that peculiar feeling which had come over her the first
time she went to New York with Lester--namely, that this fairy
existence could not endure. Her life was fated. Something would
happen. She would go back to simple things, to a side street, a poor
cottage, to old clothes.

And then as she thought of her home in Chicago, and the attitude of
his friends, she knew it must be so. She would never be received, even
if he married her. And she could understand why. She could look into
the charming, smiling face of this woman who was now wi