side, suiting his
steps to hers.

"Mind you, Molly, any day you say but Saturday."

"Why not Saturday?" asked Molly, pouting. "I might want you then!"

Unsuspecting, Mr. King explained.

"The fact is, Saturday I've planned to go on the hill. You remember
Grandoken's niece? I want to find out how she's progressing in her
music."

If Theodore had been watching Molly's face, he would have noted how
its expression changed darkly. But, humming a tune, he went into the
house unconcernedly, and Molly recognized the rhythm as one Jinnie had
played that night long ago with Peg Grandoken's lace curtains draped
about her.

Jinnie's youth, her bright blue eyes, her wonderful talent, Molly
hated, and hated cordially. Then she decided Theodore should go with
her Saturday.

That evening when Jordan Morse came in, Molly told him she would help
him in any scheme to get Jinnie away from Bellaire.

"You're beginning to understand he likes her pretty much, eh?" asked
the man rudely.

Molly wouldn't admit this, but she replied simply:

"I don't want her around. That's all! As long as she's in Bellaire,
the Kings'll always have her here with her fiddle."

"Some fiddle," monotoned Jordan.

"It's the violin that attracts Theodore," hesitated Molly.

"And her blue eyes," interrupted Jordan, smiling widely.

"Her talent, you mean," corrected Molly.

"And her curls," laughed Morse. "I swear if she wasn't a relation of
mine I'd marry the kid myself. She's a beauty!... She's got you
skinned to death."

"You needn't be insulting, Jordan," admonished Molly, flushing.

"It's the truth, though. That's where the rub comes. You can't wool
me, Molly. If she were hideous, you wouldn't worry at all.... Why, I
know seven or eight girls right here in Bellaire who'd give their eye
teeth and wear store ones to get Theodore to look at 'em crosseyed....
Lord, what fools women are!"

Molly left him angrily, and Morse, shrugging his shoulders, strolled
on through the trees. Not far from the house he met Theodore, and they
wandered on together, smoking in silence. Morse suddenly developed an
idea. Why shouldn't he sound King about Jinnie? Accordingly, he began
with:

"That's a wonderful girl, Grandoken's niece."

This topic was one Theodore loved to speak of, to dream so, so he said
impetuously:

"She is indeed. I only wish I could get her away from Paradise Road."

Morse turned curious eyes on his friend.

"Why?"

"Well, I don't t