money. I feel very sure that we won't see Eileen any more. I hope
she will have every lovely thing in life."

"Amen," said Peter Morrison earnestly. "I loved John Gilman when we were
in school together, but I have not been able to feel, since I located
here, that he is exactly the same John; and what you have told me very
probably explains the difference in him."

When Katy announced dinner Linda arose.

Peter Morrison stepped beside her and offered his arm. Linda rested her
finger tips upon it and he led her to the head of the table and seated
her. Then Katy served a meal that, if it had been prepared for Eileen,
she would have described as a banquet. She gave them delicious, finely
flavored food, stimulating, exquisitely compounded drinks that she had
concocted from the rich fruits of California and mints and essences at
her command. When, at the close of the meal, she brought Morrison some
of the cigars Eileen kept for John Gilman, she set a second tray before
Linda, and this tray contained two packages. Linda looked at Katy
inquiringly, and Katy, her face beaming, nodded her sandy red head
emphatically.

"More birthday gifts you've havin', me lady," she said in her mellowest
Irish voice.

"More?" marveled Linda. She picked up the larger package, and opening
it, found a beautiful book inscribed from her friend Donald, over which
she passed caressing fingers.

"Why, how lovely of him!" she said. "How in this world did he know?"

Katherine O'Donovan could have answered that question, but she did not.
The other package was from Marian. When she opened it Linda laughed
unrestrainedly.

"What a joke!" she said. "I had promised myself that I would not touch
a thing in Eileen's room, and before I could do justice to Katy's lovely
dress I had to go there for pins for my hair and powder for my nose.
This is Marian's way of telling me that I am almost a woman. Will you
look at this?"

"Well, just what is it?" inquired Peter.

"Hairpins," laughed Linda, "and hair ornaments, and a box of face
powder, and the little, feminine touches that my dressing table needs
badly. How would you like, Peter, to finish your cigar in my workroom?"

"I would like it immensely," said Peter.

So together they climbed to the top of the house. Linda knelt and made a
little ceremony of lighting the first fire in her fireplace. She pushed
one of her chairs to one side for Peter, and taking the other for
herself, she sat down and began t