and marry
him."

IV.

Those tubs of roses Hazel had touched upon buried their thorns sharply
in Eulalie's memory. That any son of Adam could see her bewildering
self and then give roses to Elvira was preposterous--besides, the
mills would follow. An end must be to the folly.

She invoked Hugh Griswold's assistance. He ought to see that the roses
might crowd him away from his inheritance.

"I'm afraid I ought to tell you something," she regretted, amiably. "I
hear Elvira is plainly fishing for your uncle."

Hugh grinned comfortably.

"If there is any fishing doing, I rather reckon it's on uncle E.'s
side of the pond," he said, easily.

"She has no business to let him, then!" Eulalie's eyes began to
sparkle out blue fire. "A sly old minx she is! She----"

Hugh was looking intently at her, as if he saw her in some weird, new
light. She tapered off suddenly, and grew plaintive.

"I want her back here, anyway. I'm not well, and Marion is cross to
me."

"I'll stop and tell her so as I go through Lindale, on my annual
camping tramp--shall I?"

"Oh, yes, do--please do," Eulalie pleaded, sweetly.

During the few days before his departure she grew pale and languid,
and reminded him frequently of his promise.

"Be sure and send her right home," she urged. "Tell her I'm sick and
miserable, and Marion doesn't treat me well."

V.

"Is Laly's illness a matter of doctors and drugs, or is it a becoming
little paleness in a pink tea-gown?" wrote Hazel to Marion, after the
arrival of Eulalie's ambassador, with her royal message. "If it is at
all serious, Elvira will go home at once. If it isn't, I would like to
keep her a while. She has refused the man of the mills, but I think he
is trembling on the brink of another proposal, from which I hope a
different result."

Marion wrote back:

"Tell Elvira to stay as long as she likes. Laly's pallor came
out of her powder box. She eats rations enough for two."

When Hugh returned Eulalie made bitter moan about her hapless lot.

"I've been so hunted and harassed by autumn dudes that I didn't want,
and their bleating autos, I haven't had the peace of a cat. And you
stayed away so, and Elvira has utterly abandoned me. She never came
home."

"Your sister Hazel wouldn't let her," said Hugh, looking inquisitively
at Eulalie's healthful bloom.

"Oh, I got along. And I suppose those roses went to her head, poor old
dear; it's such a new thing for her to have the