ther reason than
what I myself am. I purpose never to 'belong' to anything or anybody."

Pierson laughed. "Do as you please," he said. "I'd like to myself if
it wasn't such an awful lot of trouble!"

"Not in the end," replied Scarborough.

"Oh, bother the end. To-day's good enough for me."

"You'd better not let Miss Shrewsbury hear you say that," said
Scarborough, his eyes mocking.

Pierson grew serious at once. "Splendid girl, isn't she?" She
happened to be the first he had known at all well who hadn't agreed
with him in everything he said, hadn't shown the greatest anxiety to
please him and hadn't practically thrown herself at his head. His
combination of riches, good looks, an easy-going disposition and
cleverness had so agitated those who had interested him theretofore
that they had overreached themselves. Besides, his mother had been
subtly watchful.

"Indeed, yes," assented Scarborough, heartily but not with
enthusiasm--he always thought of Olivia as Pauline's cousin.

The four had arranged to go together to Indian Rock on the following
Sunday. When the day came Olivia was not well; Pierson went to a poker
game at his fraternity house; Pauline and Scarborough walked alone. As
she went through the woods beside him she was thinking so intensely
that she could not talk. But he was not disturbed by her silence--was
it not enough to be near her, alone with her, free to look at her, so
graceful and beautiful, so tasteful in dress, in every outward way what
he thought a woman ought to be? Presently she roused herself and began
a remark that was obviously mere politeness.

He interrupted her. "Don't mind me. Go on with your thinking--unless
it's something you can say."

She gave him a quizzical, baffling smile. "How it would startle you if
I did!" she said. "But--I shan't. And"--she frowned
impatiently--"there's no use in thinking about it. It's all in the
future."

"And one can't control the future."

"Yes, indeed--one can," she protested.

"I wish you'd tell me how. Are you sure you don't mean you could so
arrange matters that the future would control you? Anybody can
SURRENDER to the future and give it hostages. But that's not
controlling, is it?"

"Certainly it is--if you give the hostages in exchange for what you
want." And she looked triumphant.

"But how do you know what you'll want in the future? The most I can
say is that I know a few things I shan't want."

"I shouldn't