eathlessly. More than ever did she feel
responsible for her young protege, and any faint qualms which she had
entertained as to the wisdom of transferring practically the whole
of her patrimony to the care of so erratic a financier as her brother
vanished. It was her plain duty to see that Ginger was started well in
the race of life, and Fillmore was going to come in uncommonly handy.

"We'll go to the Astor now," she said, "and I'll introduce you to
Fillmore. He's a theatrical manager and he's sure to have something for
you."

"It's awfully good of you to bother about me."

"Ginger," said Sally, "I regard you as a grandson. Hail that cab, will
you?"

CHAPTER X. SALLY IN THE SHADOWS

1

It seemed to Sally in the weeks that followed her reunion with Ginger
Kemp that a sort of golden age had set in. On all the frontiers of her
little kingdom there was peace and prosperity, and she woke each morning
in a world so neatly smoothed and ironed out that the most captious
pessimist could hardly have found anything in it to criticize.

True, Gerald was still a thousand miles away. Going to Chicago to
superintend the opening of "The Primrose Way"; for Fillmore had acceded
to his friend Ike's suggestion in the matter of producing it first in
Chicago, and he had been called in by a distracted manager to revise the
work of a brother dramatist, whose comedy was in difficulties at one of
the theatres in that city; and this meant he would have to remain on
the spot for some time to come. It was disappointing, for Sally had been
looking forward to having him back in New York in a few days; but she
refused to allow herself to be depressed. Life as a whole was much
too satisfactory for that. Life indeed, in every other respect, seemed
perfect. Fillmore was going strong; Ginger was off her conscience; she
had found an apartment; her new hat suited her; and "The Primrose Way"
was a tremendous success. Chicago, it appeared from Fillmore's account,
was paying little attention to anything except "The Primrose Way."
National problems had ceased to interest the citizens. Local problems
left them cold. Their minds were riveted to the exclusion of all else
on the problem of how to secure seats. The production of the piece,
according to Fillmore, had been the most terrific experience that had
come to stir Chicago since the great fire.

Of all these satisfactory happenings, the most satisfactory, to Sally's
thinking, was the f