ngs."

"A splendid idea," she assented with enthusiasm. "It's such a fine
day, the ride will do you good."

"Do you think," he said with a smile, "that your sister would bear me
company?"

"I'm sure she would be delighted," Henrietta smiled back, and not
until an hour later did she remember, with a little qualm of
doubtfulness, Mildred Annister's evident jealousy of their previous
motor ride.

"Dear Mildred!" she thought. "She is so completely wrapped up in her
love. I wish Dr. Annister would consent for them to be married soon.
It would make Mildred so happy and I'm sure it would be a good thing
for Mr. Brand."

When Henrietta reached home she found her sister only just returned,
and in high spirits. At dinner, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks
flushed with delicate pink, her droll little stories, and her merry
laughter kept them all in a gay humor.

"We've had such a good time this evening," said Mrs. Marne when, at
her early bedtime, she bade Henrietta goodnight. "Wasn't Bella
charming! And so pretty she looked with her bright eyes and that
dainty color in her cheeks! It made me wish Warren was here to see
her. I suppose I'm dreadfully old-fashioned, Harry, but it always
seems to me that if a woman is looking especially beautiful or
charming it's somehow just wasted if the man who loves her isn't there
to see it. Wasn't it kind of Mr. Brand to take Bella out this
afternoon! And she did enjoy it so much! I can't be grateful enough
that you were so fortunate as to get a position under such a thorough
gentleman!"

Billikins was Henrietta's dog and her particular care. When she went
to the kitchen to feed him after dinner she found him licking many
gaping wounds in the body and clothing of his cherished plaything, the
rag-doll. Delia had an excited story to tell her of his disreputable
conduct during the afternoon.

"It was very queer and strange, Miss Harry, the way he acted when Mr.
Brand was here. An' him always such a mild and innocent little dog!
Of course he had to run into the hall when the bell rang, like he
always does, to see what's happening, with babykins in his mouth, and
as I went upstairs to call Miss Bella, he trotted into the parlor
where I'd shown the gentleman. An' when I come down you just ought
to've heard the wild an' awful noises he was making! He'd dropped his
doll and was whining an' howling an' growling, and he'd run toward Mr.
Brand an' bark an' growl, and then he'd run back and sta