went to you. The dam' old foxes. They went to you, nothing more than
a child."

Linda put in, "They didn't mean to; it just sort of came out. I knew
you'd stop as soon as you heard. Wasn't it horrid of him?"

"And this," Mrs. Condon declared, "is what I get for being, yes--proper.

"I said to-night, 'George,' I said, 'go right back home. It's the
only thing. They have a right to you.' I told him that only to-night.
And, 'No, I must consider my little Linda.' If I had held up my
finger," she held up a finger to show the smallness of the act
necessary, "where would we have all been?

"But this is what I get. You might think the world would notice a
woman's best efforts. No, they all try to crowd her and see her
slip. If they don't watch out I'll skid, all right, and with some
one they least expect. I have opportunities."

Linda realized with a sense of confusion that her mother had known
of Mr. Jasper's marriage all the while. But she had nobly tried to
save him from something; just what Linda couldn't make out. The
other's breath was heavy with drinking.

"You go to bed, Lin," she continued; "and thank you for taking care
of mama. I hope to goodness you'll learn from all this--pick out
what you want and make for it. Don't bother with the antique frumps,
the disappointed old tabbies. Have your fun. There's nothing else.
If you like a man, be on the level with him--give and take. Men are
not saints and we're better for it; we don't live in a heaven.