ter in
the day Steve received word that their mother had succumbed to a
violent heart attack. He found himself feeling concerned and truly
sorry, wondering if Mary had any one to see to things and relieve her
of the responsibility. Then he wondered if this death would cause a
dormant affection to become active love as often happens, causing him
to lose his right-hand man. He reproached himself for knowing so
little of her private life. When he went into her deserted office to
find a letter it seemed distinctly lonesome. It was hard to realize
how suddenly things happen and how easily the world at large becomes
accustomed to radical changes. Already a snub-nosed little clerk was
taking up a collection for the flowers.

For the first time in years Steve felt depressed and weary. The
anaesthesia was losing its power.

Within the coming week as vital a mental change was to come to Steve
as the death of Mrs. Faithful was to cause in Mary's life. And as
Mary, to all purposes, would resume her business routine with not a
hint of the change, so would Steve fail to betray the mental
revolution that was to take place in his hitherto ambitious and
obedient brain.

Briefly what was to happen was this--after visiting Mary in her home
and after seeing the Gorgeous Girl during a test of one's abilities,
Steve was to realize that there are two kinds of person in the world:
Those who make brittle, detailed plans, and those who have but a
steadfast purpose. His wife belonged to the former class and Mary to
the latter, which he was to discover was his choice at all times!

CHAPTER VIII

The day of Mrs. Faithful's funeral was the day that Beatrice O'Valley
had arranged to introduce Trudy Vondeplosshe to her bridge club, the
members of which were keen to see Gay's wife in order to prove whether
or not Bea's report concerning her was correct--that she was a clever
young person quite capable of taking care of both her own and Gay's
futures.

Beatrice particularly looked forward to the afternoon. Introducing
Trudy served as an attraction, and besides the hostess had telephoned
her that she had just received a box of Russian sweetmeats made by a
refugee who was starting life anew in New York, and two barrels of
china, each barrel containing but three plates and each plate being
valued at six hundred dollars. Furthermore, Beatrice was wearing an
afternoon costume that would demand no small share of attention, and
there was the a