papers and a sort of prospectus. His mother was wishing that she
could try one of the graduates, but she keeps six or seven house
servants, and it wouldn't be practicable. But I'll see. I never
thought of us! And I'll bring Owen home to dinner to-morrow. Is that
all right, Mother?" she asked, as her mother came back into the
room.

"Owen? Certainly, dear; we're always glad to see him," Mrs.
Salisbury said, a shade too casually, in a tone well calculated
neither to alarm nor encourage, balanced to keep events
uninterruptedly in their natural course. But Alexandra was too deep
in thought to notice a tone.

"You'll see--this is something entirely new, and just what we need!"
she said gaily.




CHAPTER II


The constant visits of Owen Sargent, had he been but a few years
older, and had Sandy been a few years older, would have filled Mrs.
Salisbury's heart with a wild maternal hope. As it was, with Sandy
barely nineteen, and Owen not quite twenty-two, she felt more
tantalizing discomfort in their friendship than satisfaction. Owen
was a dear boy, queer, of course, but fine in every way, and Sandy
was quite the prettiest girl in River Falls; but it was far too soon
to begin to hope that they would do the entirely suitable and