mself as to adorn less frequently the
newspaper headlines; the broad advertisement of his iniquities would be
so much worse now that they were in the city, and with Marian's future
to consider, and all.

It should be said that Marian's arrival had not gone unheeded. The
society columns of the capital welcomed her, and the "Advertiser"
reproduced her photograph in a picture hat. She began at once to be
among those included in all manner of functions. Allen danced
cheerfully to her piping and she still telephoned to Harwood when she
thought of ways of using him. Mrs. Owen had declared her intention of
giving a "party" to introduce Marian to the society of the capital.
Sally Owen had not given a "party" since Mrs. Bassett's coming out, but
she brought the same energy and thoroughness to bear upon a social
affair that characterized her business undertakings. In preparing the
list (in itself a task) and in the discussion of details, it was
necessary of course to consult Marian,--one usually heard Marian's views
whether one consulted her or not,--but she and her aunt were on the best
of terms, and Mrs. Owen was sincerely anxious to satisfy her in every
particular. On half a dozen evenings Allen or Dan brought Sylvia to the
Delaware Street house to meet Marian and plan the coming event. No one
would have imagined, from the zest with which Sylvia discussed such deep
questions as the employment of musicians, the decorating of the hall,
the german favors and the refreshments, that she had been at work all
day in a schoolroom that had been built before ventilation was invented.

When Sylvia was busy, she was the busiest of mortals, but when she threw
herself heart and soul into play, it was with the completest detachment.
She accomplished wonderful things in the way of work after schoolhours
if she received warning that either of her faithful knights meditated a
descent upon her. During these councils of war to plan Marian's belated
debut, Sylvia might snowball Allen or Dan or both of them all the way
from Elizabeth House to Mrs. Owen's door, and then appear demurely
before that amiable soul, with cheeks aglow and dark eyes flashing, and
Mrs. Owen would say: "This school-teaching ain't good for you, Sylvia;
it seems to be breaking down your health." That was a lively
quartette--Sylvia, Marian, Allen, and Dan!

Dan, now duly sworn to serve the state faithfully as a legislator, had
been placed on several important committees, and