ur, and she seated
herself upon an arm of it, and put her own arm loosely about his neck.

"What are you reading, Wolf? Shall we go out and burn up Broadway?
There's a wonderful picture at The Favourite."

He tossed his paper aside, and moved from under her, so that Norma found
herself ensconced in the chair, and her husband facing her from the rug
that was before the little gas log.

"Where's Mother?"

"Gone downstairs to see how the Noon baby is."

"Norma," said Wolf, without preamble, "did you see Chris Liggett
to-day?"

Her colour flamed high, but her eyes did not waver.

"Yes. We met at Sherry's. We had lunch together."

"You didn't meet by accident?" There was desperate hope in Wolf's voice.
But Norma would not lie. With her simple negative her head drooped, and
she looked at her locked fingers in silence.

Wolf was silent, too, for a long minute. Then he cleared his throat, and
spoke quietly and sensibly.

"I've been a long time waking up, Nono," he said. "I'm sorry! Of course
I knew that there was a difference; I knew that you--felt differently.
And I guessed that it was Chris. Norma, do you--do you still like him?"

She looked up wretchedly, nodding her head.

"More"--he began, and stopped--"more than you do me?" he asked. And in
the silence he added suddenly: "Norma, I thought we were so happy!"

Then the tears came.

"Wolf, I'll never love any one more than I do you!" the girl said,
passionately. "You've always been an angel to me--always the best friend
I ever had. I know you--I know what you are to Rose, Aunt Kate, and what
the men at the factory think of you. I'm not fit to tie your shoes! I'm
wicked, and selfish, and--and everything I oughtn't to be! But I can't
help it. I've wanted you to know--all there was to know. I've met him,
and we've talked and walked together; that's all. And that's all we
want--just to be friends. I'm sorry----" Her voice trailed off on a sob.
"I'm awfully sorry!" she said.

"Yes," Wolf said, slowly, after a pause, "I'm sorry, too!"

He sat down, rumpling his hair, frowning. Norma, watching him fearfully,
noticed that he was very pale.

"I thought we were so happy," he said again, simply.

"Ah, Wolf, don't think I've been fooling all this summer!" his wife
pleaded, her eyes filling afresh. "I've loved it all--the peach
ice-cream, and the picnics, and everything. But--but people can't help
this sort of thing, can they? It does happen, and--and they just simp