bade him or Louise to "make
love" or even speak of such a thing during the remainder of the trip.

The young fellow, by manly acts on some occasions and grave weaknesses
on others, won Uncle John's kindly interest. The old gentleman knew
human nature, and saw much to admire as well as condemn in Louise's
friend. Beth and Patsy found him a pleasant comrade, and after all
love-making was tabooed they were quite a harmonious party. Finally the
sudden death of Weldon's father left him the possessor of a fortune. He
returned to America to look after his newly-acquired business and became
so immersed in it that Louise felt herself neglected when she came home
expecting him to dance attendance upon her as before. She treated him
coldly and he ceased calling, his volatile and sensitive nature
resenting such treatment. It is curious what little things influence
the trend of human lives. Many estrangements are caused by trifles so
intangible that we can scarcely locate them at all.

At first the girl was very unhappy at the alienation, but soon schooled
herself to forget her former admirer. Arthur Weldon, for his part,
consoled himself by plunging into social distractions and devoting
himself to Diana Von Taer, whose strange personality for a time
fascinated him.

The business could not hold young Weldon's vacillant temperament for
long; neither could Diana. As a matter of fact his heart, more staunch
than he himself suspected, had never wavered much from Louise. Yet pride
forbade his attempting to renew their former relations. It was now some
months since he had seen the girl, and his eager exclamation was wrested
from him by surprise and a sudden awakening to the fact that his love
for her had merely slumbered.

Diana, worldly, cold and calculating as was her nature, had been
profoundly touched by Arthur's devotion to her. Usually young men were
soon repulsed by her unfortunate personality, which was not easily
understood. Therefore her intense nature responded freely to this
admirer's attentions, and if Diana could really love she loved Arthur
Weldon. He had never proposed to her or even intimated it was his
intention to do so, but she conceived a powerful desire to win him and
had never abandoned this motive when he grew cold and appeared to desert
her. Just now he was recently back from Italy, where he had passed
several months, and Diana's reception was his first reappearance in
society. The girl had planned to bring h