't worry about me any more. I'm a queer old sister--but it's
all coming out all right," kissing him before Steve, to his utter
confusion.

CHAPTER XXIV

Beatrice sent for Gay before she decided to run down to New York to
gather up some good-looking things to wear while West. More and more
the novelty of the situation was appealing to her. She would ship her
car out and take with her a maid, the Pom, and her aunt, besides three
trunks of clothes. She also had learned of hot springs that were
extremely reducing; and of a wonderful lawyer whom several of her
friends recommended. It had grown very distressing to have a cave man
prowl about the villa, the eternal disapproval of whatsoever she did,
then her father's presence got on her nerves. Considering everything
she was glad to escape, and she welcomed the sympathy and peculiar
publicity that would be hers. The role of an injured woman is almost
as attractive as that of a romantic parasite. All in all, she was just
bound to have a good time.

To be sure she thought of Steve working for someone else, making
one twentieth of his former income, marrying Mary and starting
housekeeping in eight rooms and a pocket handkerchief of a lawn--and
she envied them. This was only natural; it would be fun to be in
Mary's place for a fortnight or so, so she could tell about it
afterward. And she thought of Mary and of all she had admitted in
the tenseness of their conversation.

When she returned from New York Gay met her at the train. He carried
a single long-stemmed white rose, which, he lisped, stood for
friendship. And Beatrice--three pounds heavier if the truth were
told--quite languid and easily pleased, looked affectionately upon
Gay, who was trying to smile his sweetest.

"Of course this is very hard"--feeling it the thing to say--"but
inevitable."

"I always knew it," he supplemented, feeling that the gates of
paradise were slowly opening for him. Within a year or so he would not
even have the pretense at a business. "I understand only too well. May
I say to my old friend, one whose opinions have swayed me far more
than she has imagined, that I, too, have experienced a similar
disillusionment which terminated more tragically?"

"Really?" Beatrice roused from her cushions. "Tell me, Gay, just when
did you begin to regret having married Trudy?"

The barriers down, Gay began a rapid fire of incidents concerning
Trudy's gross nature and lack of comprehension, and