its brown and
withered contents were tossed into the fire by one of the maids. Did
Miss Bentley wish her to save the basket?

No, Miss Bentley cared nothing for it. Or, wait--she liked sweet grass,
and on second thought she would keep it.

Never had the holiday season been so gay. There was not time for a
minute's connected thought. Margaret Elizabeth honestly tried to keep
her promise to stop and reflect for at least ten minutes a day, but
either she went to sleep, or fell into a waking dream that bore small
relation to the sober realities upon which she was supposed to dwell.

There were guests at Pennington Park for the holidays--English friends
of her uncle and aunt, persons of a broader culture than Margaret
Elizabeth had ever before encountered. They afforded her an object
lesson of the best that accrues from wealth and tradition, and is only
to be attained by means of them. Within herself she was aware of an
aptitude of her own for these things.

But half divining her niece's mood, Mrs. Gerrard Pennington skilfully
and subtly fostered it, and Augustus McAllister, with unexpected tact,
followed her lead.

Augustus was genuinely in love, and it brought out the best that was
in him. For the first time in his life something resembling humility
manifested itself, a humility which sat gracefully upon the possessor
of variously estimated millions. It seemed to say: "Here is one who,
although not brilliant, may be led into any desirable path." And with
his other substantial attractions he combined his full share of good
looks.

To be unresponsive was not in Miss Bentley's make-up, and the attentions
of Augustus assumed in these days a delicate and pleasing character.
What girl could be indifferent to the prestige born of the generally
accepted opinion that the position of mistress of the Towers was hers
for the word?

In truth, all this homage--and Augustus was far from being alone in
it--was to Margaret Elizabeth an exciting game, that need not be taken
too seriously. It was only when she thought of the Candy Man that she
became serious and annoyed. How impossible, in the atmosphere of
Pennington Park, appeared any explanation or justification of so absurd
a position as his!

[Illustration: COUSIN AUGUSTUS]

When, after a morning recital by the Musical Club, Miss Bentley was seen
walking down the avenue with Augustus McAllister, society seized upon it
as confirming an interesting rumour. It was absurd, of co