and when even her intimacy with his affairs did
not reveal a solitary cause for distress or uneasiness of mind.

She spoke of this sometimes at home. For her mother and sister were
always concerned to know what her day had been, and Felix Brand being
so important a person to their lives, they were deeply interested in
whatever he did or said and in everything Henrietta could tell them
about him. They were scrupulously careful not to ask or to speak about
anything that would approach too nearly her confidential relations
with her employer. But outside those lines there was a large and
interesting territory wherein they could and did have much converse
together about the architect, his success, and his personality.

On a bright and mild Sunday morning in mid-winter, whose sunshine was
full of that guileful promise of spring with which the tricky weather
goddess of the Manhattan region loves to play pranks upon its
residents, the two Marne sisters, in their mother's room, were
chatting with her as she reclined in the sun beside a south window.

"I've some good news," said Henrietta. "I didn't tell you last night,
because I knew we'd all be gossiping in here this morning and it would
be so cosy to talk it all over then. Mr. Brand has raised my salary,
to date from the first of this month!"

Mrs. Marne's thin hand sought her daughter's where it lay upon the arm
of her chair and then hastened to wipe away a tear or two. For she was
nervously much broken and her tears, whether of joy or sorrow, came
easily.

Isabella sprang up, exclaiming, "Harry! How splendid!" And the two
girls hugged each other delightedly and kissed first each other and
then their mother. Then they kissed each other again and whirled about
in a waltz measure. Billikins, the white fox terrier, quickly put a
stop to this exuberance by endeavoring to take part in it himself,
barking furiously and making ecstatic rushes between them.

"The second time, dear!" exclaimed Isabella as they settled down
again, cheeks flushed and eyes shining. "Only think of it! At
Christmas, and now again so soon!"

"It isn't so very much," said Henrietta, "only ten dollars a month
more, but it will be a lot for us, and it means a great big lot to me,
because it makes me feel that I'm succeeding. What is it, Billikins?
Do you want to come up? And you've brought babykins, haven't you? Come
on, then, both of you." The fox terrier was begging and wriggling
beside her, his inse