freckled youth with a left shoulder upholding
the head of a pug-nosed girl, who weeps tears of joy in his bosom, the
while he gazes up at the heavens in thankfulness. I'm all right, Dave!
I've accomplished all that I was aiming at, and there are no problems
left to solve. Where's that devilish boy with those drinks?"

I could not help looking at him again, for I was becoming more and more
convinced that he was far from representing the happy man I had been
eager to congratulate. Our beverages came, and he tossed his down,
hurriedly, as if it furnished a welcome diversion to his thoughts. Five
minutes later, I was walking alone to the shop where I buy my tea.

"I wonder what's wrong?" I asked myself, pushing the door open.

CHAPTER XIII

DR. PORTER GOES TO WORK

On Saturday, I received the card Gordon had mentioned. It was a
tastefully engraved thing, merely announcing that the Van Rossums would
be at home on the Seventeenth of March, from four until seven. In a
corner, in smaller letters, was written "To meet Mr. Gordon McGrath, N.
A."

I don't know whether I have mentioned the fact that Gordon is really an
extremely handsome fellow, in a strong and masculine way, with a
pleasant voice and manners that can be quite exquisite, at least when he
isn't talking to an old pal. I am not at all surprised that Miss Sophia,
or any other woman, for that matter, should have been attracted by his
looks, while his great talent and growing reputation must have added to
his ability to find favor in her eyes. His is not a descent from an old
family, I believe, for the dead and gone McGraths dealt in pottery, in a
small way, and left him about a thousand dollars a year, upon which he
managed to go abroad and study art, to return, at last, and take New
York by storm, at least from the standpoint of portrait painting. The
young lady, I am sure, is a woman of ready affection, of easy
enthusiasms and hopeful disposition. I honestly believe that she
deserves much happiness and that she is capable of giving a sturdy love
to a decent fellow, who will not interfere too much with her passion for
various sports. An uncomfortable feeling comes to me that she is worthy
of something better than Gordon will give her. I may be an old donkey,
but, for the life of me, I can see no indication of true love in his
feelings. The thought is rather revolting that he is marrying her as a
mere incident in a line of conduct mapped out long ago, a