ndid, wholesome, everyday, unimaginative New York business man.
And he's fallen in love with his absolute antithesis. Because this
girl is all ardent imagination, full of extravagant impulses, very
lovely to look at, but a perfectly illogical fanatic!

"Mrs. Vance has told me all about her. She really belongs in some
exotic romance, not in New York. She's entirely irresponsible,
perfectly unstable. There is in her a generous sort of recklessness
which is quite likely to drive her headlong into any extreme. And what
sort of mate would such a girl be for a young man whose ambition is to
make good in the real estate business, marry a nice girl, have a
pleasant home and agreeable children, and otherwise conform to the
ordinary conventions of civilisation?"

"I think," remarked her husband grimly, "that she'd keep him
guessing."

"She would indeed! And that's not all, James. For I've got to tell you
that the girl entertains some rather weird and dreadful socialistic
notions. She talks socialism--a mild variety--from public platforms.
She admits very frankly that she entertains no respect for accepted
conventions. And while I have no reason to doubt her purity of mind
and personal chastity, the unpleasant and startling fact remains that
she proposes that humanity should dispense with the marriage ceremony
and discard it and any orthodox religion as obsolete superstitions."

Her husband stared at her.

"For heaven's sake," he began, then got frightfully red in the face
once more. "What that girl needs is a plain spanking!" he said
bluntly. "I'd like to see her or any other girl try to come into this
family on any such ridiculous terms!"

"She doesn't seem to want to come in on any terms," said Helen.

"Then what are you worrying about?"

"I am worrying about what might happen if she ever changed her mind."

"But you say she doesn't believe in marriage!"

"She doesn't."

"Well, that boy of ours isn't crazy," insisted Shotwell Senior.

But his mother remained silent in her deep misgiving concerning the
sanity of the simpler sex, when mentally upset by love. For it seemed
very difficult to understand what to do--if, indeed, there was
anything for her to do in the matter.

To express disapproval of Palla to Jim or to the girl herself--to show
any opposition at all--would, she feared, merely defeat its own
purpose and alienate her son's confidence.

The situation was certainly a most disturbing one, though not at