ce against her husband.
Blackford's course at the military school he had chosen for himself had
been so unsatisfactory that his father had been advised that he would
not be received for another year. It was now Mrs. Bassett's turn to
cavil at her husband for the sad mess he had made of the boy's
education. She would never have sent Blackford to a military school if
it had been her affair; she arraigned her husband for having encouraged
the boy in his dreams of West Point.

Blackford's father continuing indifferent, Mrs. Bassett rose from bed
one hot August day filled with determination. Blackford, confident of
immunity from books through the long vacation, was enjoying himself
thoroughly at the lake. He was a perfectly healthy, good-natured lad,
whose faults were much like those of the cheerful, undisciplined
Marian. His mother scanned the reports of Blackford's demerits and
decided that he required tutoring immediately. She thereupon reasoned
that it would score with her aunt if she employed "that girl" to coach
the delinquent Blackford. It would at any rate do no harm to manifest a
friendly interest in her aunt's protegee, who would doubtless be glad of
a chance to earn a little pin-money. She first proposed the matter to
her aunt, who declared promptly that it must be for Sylvia to say; that
Sylvia was busy writing a book (she was revising her grandfather's
textbook), besides helping to entertain the Elizabeth House guests; but
when the matter was referred to Sylvia, she cheerfully agreed to give
Blackford two hours a day.

Sylvia quickly established herself on terms of good comradeship with her
pupil. Blackford was old enough to find the proximity of a pretty girl
agreeable, and Sylvia was sympathetic and encouraging. When he confided
to her his hopes of a naval career (he had finally renounced the Army)
Sylvia sent off to Annapolis for the entrance requirements. She told him
of her Grandfather Kelton's service in the Navy and recounted some of
the old professor's exploits in the Civil War. The stories Sylvia had
heard at her grandfather's knee served admirably as a stimulus. As the
appointments to Annapolis had to be won in competitive examinations she
soon persuaded him that the quicker he buckled down to hard study the
sooner he would attain the goal. This matter arranged, Mrs. Bassett went
back to bed, where she received Sylvia occasionally and expressed her
sorrow that Mrs. Owen, at her time of life, should be