hands of her." Mrs. Halstead shrugged coldly. "It was to
be supposed that she would be quite impossible, coming from such an
environment, but I fancied at least that she would want to advance
herself. She cares nothing for making acquaintances or getting in with
the right people and hasn't the slightest conception of the importance
of establishing herself. If I had the proper authority over her it
would be vastly different, but you and Mason----"

"We haven't it ourselves," her husband reminded her. "We've got to
accept her on her own terms or not at all, it seems. She has too much
principle to get herself into disgrace, I am confident on that score,
but she has such ultra-democratic ideas that I am afraid she may lay
herself open to comment. Have you heard anything, Irene, about a--a
gray car?"

"What is that?" Mrs. Halstead sat up very straight. "I've been
expecting trouble from her absurd independence, but you know my
position. What about a gray car?"

"Nothing much." Ripley looked decidedly uncomfortable. "You are not
to mention it to her, Irene, remember. Mason spoke of it and it's up
to him to take care of it, but I thought you might keep your eyes open.
Mason has an idea that he has seen her more than once running around
town in a fast little gray car with a mighty good-looking chauffeur.
He's near-sighted and he asked me to find out about it."

"I know nothing of it!" his wife said bitterly. "An elopement with a
person of that sort is quite within the possibilities, Ripley. I will
watch, of course, but what good will it do? I have tried to guard her,
and been insulted for my pains. If I had my way, I should lock her in
her room until I brought her to terms.--A chauffeur, indeed! Really,
Uncle Giles' money is scarcely worth the strain, and now with poor
Vernon acting so strangely, and you so unsympathetic, it is a wonder I
am not down with nervous prostration!"

On the morning after the Erskine affair, however, Vernon came in at
lunch time with a cheerful air of suppressed but pleasurable excitement
which nullified the effect of his former solemnity.

After the meal was over, he drew Willa mysteriously into the library,
and shut the door.

"Say! I've simply got to tell you! I don't peddle club gossip as a
rule, but this is to good to keep. Starr got his last night!"

"What do you mean?" Willa cried. "He's not----"

"Not dead, you want to say? No, it isn't as good as that, but he