have. I know him like a book. And I tell you the man is in love with
you."

"Well, I hope he didn't tell you as much," cried Laura, promising
herself to be royally angry if such was the case. But Mrs. Cressler
hastened to reassure her.

"Oh my, no. But all the way home last night--he came home with us,
you know--he kept referring to you, and just so soon as the
conversation got on some other subject he would lose interest. He
wanted to know all about you--oh, you know how a man will talk," she
exclaimed. "And he said you had more sense and more intelligence
than any girl he had ever known."

"Oh, well," answered Laura deprecatingly, as if to say that that did
not count for much with her.

"And that you were simply beautiful. He said that he never
remembered to have seen a more beautiful woman."

Laura turned her head away, a hand shielding her cheek. She did not
answer immediately, then at length:

"Has he--this Mr. Jadwin--has he ever been married before?"

"No, no. He's a bachelor, and rich! He could buy and sell us. And
don't think, Laura dear, that I'm jumping at conclusions. I hope I'm
woman of the world enough to know that a man who's taken with a
pretty face and smart talk isn't going to rush right into matrimony
because of that. It wasn't so much what Curtis Jadwin said--though,