e
any, she WAS such a plain child, and, all at once, she's blazed out
this way. As long as it was Pen that didn't seem to care for society,
I didn't give much mind to it. But I can see it's going to be
different with Irene. I don't believe but what we're in the wrong
neighbourhood."

"Well," said the Colonel, "there ain't a prettier lot on the Back Bay
than mine. It's on the water side of Beacon, and it's twenty-eight
feet wide and a hundred and fifty deep. Let's build on it."

Mrs. Lapham was silent a while. "No," she said finally; "we've always
got along well enough here, and I guess we better stay."

At breakfast she said casually: "Girls, how would you like to have your
father build on the New Land?"

The girls said they did not know. It was more convenient to the
horse-cars where they were.

Mrs. Lapham stole a look of relief at her husband, and nothing more was
said of the matter.

The mother of the family who had called upon Mrs. Lapham brought her
husband's cards, and when Mrs. Lapham returned the visit she was in
some trouble about the proper form of acknowledging the civility. The
Colonel had no card but a business card, which advertised the principal
depot and the several agencies of the mineral paint; and Mrs. Lapham
doubted, till she wished to goodness that she had never seen nor heard
of those people, whether to ignore her husband in the transaction
altogether, or to write his name on her own card. She decided finally
upon this measure, and she had the relief of not finding the family at
home. As far as she could judge, Irene seemed to suffer a little
disappointment from the fact.

For several months there was no communication between the families.
Then there came to Nankeen Square a lithographed circular from the
people on the Hill, signed in ink by the mother, and affording Mrs.
Lapham an opportunity to subscribe for a charity of undeniable merit
and acceptability. She submitted it to her husband, who promptly drew
a cheque for five hundred dollars.

She tore it in two. "I will take a cheque for a hundred, Silas," she
said.

"Why?" he asked, looking up guiltily at her.

"Because a hundred is enough; and I don't want to show off before them."

"Oh, I thought may be you did. Well, Pert," he added, having satisfied
human nature by the preliminary thrust, "I guess you're about right.
When do you want I should begin to build on Beacon Street?" He handed
her the new cheque, where sh