a case in point. If she could get him back, if he could
be near her again, his old fever would develop and she would then find
some way of making him take her, perhaps. It did not occur to her quite
clearly just how this could be done at this time but some vague notion
of self-immolation was already stirring vaguely and disturbingly in her
brain.

The trying and in a way disheartening conditions of her home went some
way to sustain this notion. Her sister Marietta was surrounded by a
score of suitors who were as eager for her love as a bee is for the
honey of a flower, and Angela could see that they were already looking
upon herself as an elderly chaperon. Her mother and father watched her
going about her work and grieved because so good a girl should be made
to suffer for want of a proper understanding. She could not conceal her
feelings entirely and they could see at times that she was unhappy. She
could see that they saw it. It was hard to have to explain to her
sisters and brothers, who occasionally asked after Eugene, that he was
doing all right, and never be able to say that he was coming for her
some day soon.

At first Marietta had been envious of her. She thought she would like to
win Eugene for herself, and only consideration for Angela's age and the
fact that she had not been so much sought after had deterred her. Now
that Eugene was obviously neglecting her, or at least delaying beyond
any reasonable period, she was deeply sorry. Once, before she had grown
into the age of courtship, she had said to Angela: "I'm going to be nice
to the men. You're too cold. You'll never get married." And Angela had
realized that it was not a matter of "too cold," but an innate prejudice
against most of the types she met. And then the average man did not take
to her. She could not spur herself to pleasure in their company. It took
a fire like Eugene's to stir her mightily, and once having known that
she could brook no other. Marietta realized this too. Now because of
these three years she had cut herself off from other men, particularly
the one who had been most attentive to her--faithful Victor Dean. The
one thing that might save Angela from being completely ignored was a
spirit of romance which kept her young in looks as in feelings.

With the fear of desertion in her mind Angela began to hint in her
letters to Eugene that he should come back to see her, to express the
hope in her letters that their marriage need not--beca