t at playing parts. He at first regarded
Louise much as a hunter does the game he is stalking. Patsy Doyle was
more jolly and Beth De Graf more beautiful than Miss Merrick; but the
young man would in any event have preferred the latter's dainty
personality. When he found her responsive to his admiring glances he was
astounded to note his heart beating rapidly--a thing quite foreign to
his usual temperament. Yes, this girl would do very nicely, both as a
wife and as a banker. Assuredly the game was well worth playing, as
Diana had asserted. He must make it his business to discover what
difficulties must be overcome in winning her. Of course Arthur Weldon
was the main stumbling-block; but Weldon was a ninny; he must be thrust
aside; Diana had promised to attend to that.

Never in his life had Charles Connoldy Mershone been in earnest before.
After his first interview with Louise Merrick he became in deadly
earnest. His second meeting with her was at Marie Delmar's bridge whist
party, where they had opportunity for an extended conversation. Arthur
was present this evening, but by some chance Mershone drew Louise for
his partner at cards, and being a skillful player he carried her in
progression from table to table, leaving poor Arthur far behind and
indulging in merry repartee and mild flirtation until they felt they
were quite well acquainted.

Louise found the young man a charming conversationalist. He had a
dashing, confidential way of addressing the girl which impressed her as
flattering and agreeable, while his spirits were so exuberant and
sparkling with humor that she was thoroughly amused every moment while
in his society. Indeed, Mr. Mershone was really talented, and had he
possessed any manly attributes, or even the ordinary honorable instincts
of mankind, there is little doubt he would have been a popular favorite.
But he had made his mark, and it was a rather grimy one. From earliest
youth he had been guilty of discreditable acts that had won for him the
contempt of all right-minded people. That he was still accepted with lax
tolerance by some of the more thoughtless matrons of the fashionable set
was due to his family name. They could not forget that in spite of his
numerous lapses from respectability he was still a Mershone. Not one of
the careless mothers who admitted him to her house would have allowed
her daughter to wed him, and the degree of tolerance extended to him was
fully appreciated by Mershone hi