oom at the Nouveau
Luxe.

Ellie, with her spoiled child's persistency, had come back to the
question of the chinchilla cloak. It was the only one she had seen that
she fancied in the very least, and as she hadn't a decent fur garment
left to her name she was naturally in somewhat of a hurry... but, of
course, if Susy had been choosing that model for a friend....

Susy, leaning back against her cushions, examined through half-closed
lids Mrs. Vanderlyn's small delicately-restored countenance, which wore
the same expression of childish eagerness as when she discoursed of the
young Davenant of the moment. Once again Susy remarked that, in Ellie's
agitated existence, every interest appeared to be on exactly the same
plane.

"The poor shivering dear," she answered laughing, "of course it shall
have its nice warm winter cloak, and I'll choose another one instead."

"Oh, you darling, you! If you would! Of course, whoever you were
ordering it for need never know...."

"Ah, you can't comfort yourself with that, I'm afraid. I've already told
you that I was ordering it for myself." Susy paused to savour to the
full Ellie's look of blank bewilderment; then her amusement was checked
by an indefinable change in her friend's expression.

"Oh, dearest--seriously? I didn't know there was someone...."

Susy flushed to the forehead. A horror of humiliation overwhelmed her.
That Ellie should dare to think that of her--that anyone should dare to!

"Someone buying chinchilla cloaks for me? Thanks!" she flared out. "I
suppose I ought to be glad that the idea didn't immediately occur to
you. At least there was a decent interval of doubt...." She stood up,
laughing again, and began to wander about the room. In the mirror above
the mantel she caught sight of her flushed angry face, and of Mrs.
Vanderlyn's disconcerted stare. She turned toward her friend.

"I suppose everybody else will think it if you do; so perhaps I'd better
explain." She paused, and drew a quick breath. "Nick and I mean to
part--have parted, in fact. He's decided that the whole thing was a
mistake. He will probably; marry again soon--and so shall I."

She flung the avowal out breathlessly, in her nervous dread of letting
Ellie Vanderlyn think for an instant longer that any other explanation
was conceivable. She had not meant to be so explicit; but once the words
were spoken she was not altogether sorry. Of course people would soon
begin to wonder why she was again