ng. Guess we'd better see if we can't
give it to her, mother."

Horatio was no fighter, especially of his own womenkind. Even the old
lady's judgment was disturbed by the dazzle of Milly's social conquests.

"She'll be married before long," they said.

Meanwhile Milly was learning the fine social distinctions between the
south and the north sides of the city. The Kemps' new house on Granger
Avenue was very rich and handsome like its many substantial neighbors,
but Milly already knew enough to prefer the Gilberts' on the North
Drive, which, if smaller, had more style. And in spite of all the miles
of solid prosperity and comfort in the great south side of the city,
Milly quickly perceived that the really nicest people had tucked
themselves in along the north shore.

Somewhere about this time Milly acquired two lively young friends, Sally
and Vivie Norton, daughters of a railroad man who had recently been
moved to Chicago from the East. Sally Norton was small and blonde and
gay. She laughed overmuch. Vivie was tall and sentimental,--a brunette.
They came once to the West Laurence Avenue house for Sunday supper.
Horatio did not like the sisters; he called them in his simple way
"Giggle" and "Simper." The Nortons lived not far from the Lake on East
Acacia Street, and that became for Milly the symbol of the
all-desirable. She spoke firmly of the advantages of East Acacia Street
as a residence--she had even picked out the house, the last but one in
the same row of stone-front boxes where the Nortons lived.

It made Horatio restless. Like a good father he wished to indulge his
only child in every way--to do his best for her. But with his salary of
three thousand dollars he could barely give Milly the generous allowance
she needed and always spent in advance. Rise at Hoppers' was slow,
although sure, and the only way for him to enlarge Milly's horizon was
by going into business for himself. He began to talk of schemes, said he
was tired of "working for others all his life." Milly's ambitions were
contagious.

After one of the family conflicts, Grandma invaded Milly's bedroom,
which was quite irritating to the young woman.

"Mildred," she began ominously. "Do you realize what you are doing to
your father?"

"The rent is only thirty dollars a month more, grandma," Milly replied,
reverting to the last topic under discussion. "Papa can take it out of
my allowance." (Milly was magnificently optimistic about the
expansivene