lone. It's a real nice crowd uses Pelham Park, but there's always a
sprinkling of freshies."

"Is that why you invited me?" said Lila gayly. Inwardly she flattered
herself to think that she had been asked for herself alone. But Fannie's
answer had in it something of a slap in the face.

"Well," said this one, "mother forbade me to come alone. But I do want
to get better acquainted with you. Honest."

They rested for a while sitting on a stone wall in the shade of a tree.

"My mother," said Fannie grandly, "thinks everybody's rotten, including
me. My God!" she went on angrily, "do me and you work six days of the
week only to be bossed about on the seventh? I tell you I won't stand it
much longer. I'm going to cut loose. Nothing but work, work, work, and
scold, scold, scold."

"If I had all the pretty things you've got," said Lila gently, "I don't
believe I'd complain."

Fannie blushed. "It's hard work and skimping does it," she said. "Ever
think of marrying, kid?"

Lila admitted that she had.

"Got a beau?"

Lila blushed and shook her head.

"You have, too. Own up. What's he like?"

Lila continued to deny and protest. But she enjoyed being teased upon
such a subject.

"Well, if you haven't," said Fannie at last, "I have. It's a dead
secret, kid. I wouldn't tell a soul but you. He's got heaps of money,
and he's been after me--to marry him--for nearly a year."

"Do you like him?"

"I'm just crazy about him."

"Then why don't you marry him?"

"Well," Fannie temporized, "you never want to be in a rush about these
things."

Fannie sighed, and was silent. She might have married the young man in
question if she had played her cards better. And she knew it, now that
it was too late, and there could not be a new deal. He had wanted her,
even at the price of marriage. He was still fond of her. And he was very
generous with his money. She met him whenever she could. He would be
waiting for her now at the entrance to the park.

"He's got a motor-boat," she explained to Lila, "that he wants to show
me. She's a cabin launch, almost new. You won't mind?"

"Mind? Are you going out for a sail with him, and leave me?"

"Well, the truth is," said Fannie, "I've just about made up my mind to
say yes, and of course if there was a third party around he couldn't
bring the matter up, could he? We wouldn't be out long."

"Don't mind me," said Lila. Inwardly she was terribly hurt and
disappointed. "I'll just sit in the