like a rock. Nesbitt could pay it or lose his tenant. He paid.

"Mr. Orchard got up and put on his hat. 'Miss Connie wants some
flowers and some candy and an ice-cream soda, my boy, and I want some
cigars, and a coca cola. It's on you. Will you come along and pay the
bill, or will you give us the money?'

"'I guess it will be cheaper to come along,' said Nesbitt, looking
bashfully at me, for I was very haughty. But I put on my hat, and it
cost him just one dollar and ninety cents to square himself.

"But they both like me. In fact, Mr. Orchard suggested that I marry
him so old Nesbitt would have to stop roaring at me, but I tell him
honestly that of the two evils I prefer the roaring.

"No, Carol, I am not counting on marriage in my scheme of life. Not
yet. Sometimes I think perhaps I do not believe in it. It doesn't
work out right. There is always something wrong somewhere. Look at
Prudence and Jerry,--devoted to each other as ever, but Jerry's
business takes him out among men and women, into the life of the city.
And Prudence's business keeps her at home with the children. He's out,
and she's in, and the only time they have to love each other is in the
evening,--and then Jerry has clubs and meetings, and Prudence is always
sleepy. Look at Fairy and Gene. He is always at the drug store, and
Fairy has nothing but parties and clubs and silly things like that to
think about,--a big, grand girl like Fairy. And she is always looking
covetously at other women's babies and visiting orphans' homes to see
if she can find one she wants to adopt, because she hasn't one of her
own. Always that sorrow behind the twinkle in her eyes! If she hadn't
married, she wouldn't want a baby. Take Larkie and Jim. Always Larkie