won't have any anxiety this summer which will injure her health!" And
then she tried to disguise her thought by saying to herself that there
were no girls in Ashurst who were not "suitable."

"Good-evening," some one said gayly. It was Mr. Forsythe, who had come so
quietly along the path, dark with its arching laburnums and syringas, she
had not heard him.

"Oh," she said, with a little start of surprise, "I did not know we were
to see you to-night. Is your mother"--

"I'm like the man in the Bible," he interrupted, laughing. "He said he
wouldn't, then he did!" He had followed her to the library, and stood,
smiling, with a hand on each side of the doorway. "I started for a walk,
doctor, and somehow I found myself here. No cake, thank you,--yes, I
guess I'll have some sherry. Oh, the whist is over. Who is to be
congratulated, Mrs. Dale? For my part, I never could understand the
fascination of the game. Euchre is heavy enough for me. May I have some
of Mr. Dale's candy, Miss Lois?"

Except Mrs. Dale, the little party of older people seemed stunned by the
quick way in which he talked. His airy manner and flimsy wit impressed
them with a sense of his knowledge of life. He represented the world
to them, the World with a capital W, and they were all more or less
conscious of a certain awe in his presence. His utter disregard of the
little observances and forms which were expected from Ashurst young
people gave them a series of shocks, that were rather pleasant than
otherwise.

Mr. Dale looked confused, and handed him the candy with such nervous