"He WAS more than that, of course, but he has been less than
nothing to you for a long time!"

"Yes, legally--technically, of course," Rachael agreed nervously.
She sat silent for a moment, frowning over some sombre thought.
"But, Warren, they'll all know of it, they'll all be THINKING of
it," she said presently. "I--really I don't think I can go through
it!"

"It's too bad, of course," Warren Gregory said with his arm still
about her. "I'd give ten thousand dollars to have had the poor
fellow select some other time. But you've had nothing to do with
it, and you simply must put it out of your mind!"

"It was Billy's marriage, of course!"

"Of course. She was married yesterday, you see, the day she came
of age. Poor kid--it's rather a sad start for her, especially with
no one but Joe Pickering to console her!"

"She was mad about her father," Rachael said in a preoccupied
whisper. "Poor Billy--poor Billy! She never crossed him in
anything but this. What did you see it in?"

"The World. How did you hear it?"

"Etta brought up the paper." She closed her eyes and leaned back
in her chair. "It seemed to jump at me--his picture and the name.
Is he living--where is he?"