rt, a rising young man in every way. Among the
women was one who painted portraits, another who was a professional
musician, and still another who possessed the degree of Doctor of
Sociology and who was locally famous for her social settlement work in
the slums of San Francisco. But the women did not count for much in Mrs.
Morse's plan. At the best, they were necessary accessories. The men who
did things must be drawn to the house somehow.

"Don't get excited when you talk," Ruth admonished Martin, before the
ordeal of introduction began.

He bore himself a bit stiffly at first, oppressed by a sense of his own
awkwardness, especially of his shoulders, which were up to their old
trick of threatening destruction to furniture and ornaments. Also, he
was rendered self-conscious by the company. He had never before been in
contact with such exalted beings nor with so many of them. Melville, the
bank cashier, fascinated him, and he resolved to investigate him at the
first opportunity. For underneath Martin's awe lurked his assertive ego,
and he felt the urge to measure himself with these men and women and to
find out what they had learned from the books and life which he had not
learned.

Ruth's eyes roved to him frequently to see how he was getting on, and she
was surprised and gladdened by the ease with which he got acquainted with
her cousins. He certainly did not grow excited, while being seated
removed from him the worry of his shoulders. Ruth knew them for clever
girls, superficially brilliant, and she could scarcely understand their
praise of Martin later that night at going to bed. But he, on the other
hand, a wit in his own class, a gay quizzer and laughter-maker at dances
and Sunday picnics, had found the making of fun and the breaking of good-
natured lances simple enough in this environment. And on this evening
success stood at his back, patting him on the shoulder and telling him
that he was making good, so that he could afford to laugh and make
laughter and remain unabashed.

Later, Ruth's anxiety found justification. Martin and Professor Caldwell
had got together in a conspicuous corner, and though Martin no longer
wove the air with his hands, to Ruth's critical eye he permitted his own
eyes to flash and glitter too frequently, talked too rapidly and warmly,
grew too intense, and allowed his aroused blood to redden his cheeks too
much. He lacked decorum and control, and was in decided contrast t