n help for a while, when he died. Now they have that cottage free of
debt, and something in the Bank, and Miss Fanny belongs to the woman's
club--that's enough for her. You can do better, and you will!"

"I like you, Joe!" said Martie at this, quite frankly, and her
brother-in-law's pleasant eyes met hers as he said:

"I like you, too!"

Sally, herself, did not belong to the Woman's Social and Civic Club; a
fact that caused her some chagrin. Rose had actually been president
once, as had May Parker, and among the thirty-six or seven members she
and May were pleasantly prominent.

"I never see Rose, but I should have thought she might elect me to the
club," Sally said to Martie. "Unless, of course," she added,
brightening, "Rose realizes how busy I am, and that it really would be
an extravagance."

"But why do you want to go, Sis? What do they do--sit around and read
papers?"

"Oh, well, they have tea, and they entertain visitors in town. And they
have a historical committee to keep up the fountains and statues--well,
I don't care!" Sally interrupted herself with a reluctant smile as
Martie laughed. "It makes me sick for Rose to have everything and
always be so smug!"

"Oh, Sally Price Hawkes! Look at the children, and look at Joe,
covering himself with glory!"

"Well, I know." Sally looked ashamed. "But sometimes it does seem as if
it wasn't fair!"

"I met Rodney Parker the other day," Martie said thoughtfully. "It
isn't that he wasn't extremely pleasant--not to say flattering! No one
could have been more so. He told me that Rose was in the hospital, and
that they had been so busy since I got to town--I told you all this?
But as we parted my only thought was gratitude to Heaven that I had
never married Rodney Parker!"

Lydia, sitting sewing near by, coloured with shame at the indelicacy of
this, and made her characteristic comment.

"You don't mean that you--ALWAYS felt so, Martie?"

"Always!" Martie echoed healthily. "Why, I was crazy about him."

Lydia visibly shrank.

"He's so LIMITED" Martie continued with spirit. "I'm glad that things
have gone well with them, and that they have a baby at last! But to sit
opposite that pleasant, fat face--he is getting quite fat!--and hear
that complacent voice all the days of my life, those little puns, and
that cheerful way of implying that he is the greatest man since
Alexander--no, I couldn't!"

"He has built Rose a lovely home, and made her a very happy woma