scheme." He paused, and her heart was in her mouth.

"I haven't said so, have I?"

"No--you haven't said so," he growled.

"Well?"

"It's off. I've dropped it."

She started to embrace him, but saw at once it would be a mistake.

"Thank you, Joe," she said softly, and went into the nursery. It was so
dark and quiet there. She had a cry.

CHAPTER XX

The next morning Emily Giles returned from a visit back in Ohio.

"How have things been going?" she asked. "Very well indeed," said
Ethel, with a scarcely perceptible smile. She and Emily understood each
other, though very little had ever been said.

"Mr. Lanier still working hard?"

"Yes, poor dear," said Ethel, "but it has been so good for him." And at
that a look of grim relish came on Emily's sallow face.

"You know I'm getting to like this town," she remarked with a genial
air. "I wonder what'll the winter be like?"

"Oh, I think we'll do nicely, Emily. I've quite a few plans in my
head."

"I'll bet you have," said Emily. And she went to don her "uniform."

In these days, again and again a sense of being just on the eve of
something very exciting gave Ethel a new zest in life.

One day in the hall downstairs she came upon young Mrs. Grewe. Ethel
gave a little start and then swiftly reddened. And she saw the young
widow smile at that, and it made her annoyed with herself for having
been so clumsy. "I'll show her I'm not such a prude," she thought. And
having learned that Mrs. Grewe had taken another apartment here, Ethel
went to see her--with a safe little feeling that Mrs. Grewe would have
too much sense to return the call. This would end it--pleasantly.

The visit was a decided success. Mrs. Grewe was back from Europe
sooner than she had expected--for reasons she did not explain. "And now
I'm looking about," she said, "for another old lady from Boston. I rent
a new one every year." Ethel stayed for tea. For nearly eight months
she had had no woman to talk to, but Fanny Carr and Emily Giles. And
she found it very pleasant to be chatting here so cosily. Not that she
meant to keep it up. This sort of woman? H'm--well, no. But on the
other hand, why not? After all, New York was a very big city.

"I'm never going to shut myself up in one little circle of people," she
thought. "I mean to keep rubbing up against life."

There was an added pleasure, too, in the vague warm self-confidence
which the young widow gave to her. "You can take care of yourse