Marian went away the next morning; it does seem queer." Then she
added with a flash of generosity and justice, "It looks pretty
good for Marian, at that. If she came so near winning that she
lost second and third because she was too near first to make any
practical difference, I must be wrong and she must be right."

"You are wrong," said Linda tersely, "if you think Marian cannot
make wonderful plans for houses. But going back to what my 'war
of dissatisfaction' is doing to me, it's a pale affair compared
with what it is doing to you, Eileen. You look a debilitated
silhouette of the near recent past. Do you feel that badly about
giving up a little money and authority?"

"I never professed to have the slightest authority over you,"
said Eileen very primly, as she drew back in the shadows. "You
have come and gone exactly as you pleased. All I ever tried to
do was to keep up a decent appearance before the neighbors and
make financial ends meet."

"That never seemed to wear on you as something seems to do now,"
said Linda. "I am thankful that this week ends it. I was
looking for you because I wanted to tell you to be sure not to
make any date that will keep you from meeting me at the office of
the president of the Consolidated Bank Thursday afternoon. I am
going to arrange with John to be there and it shouldn't take
fifteen minutes to run through matters and divide the income in a
fair way between us. I am willing for you to go on paying the
bills and ordering for the house as you have been."

"Certainly you are," sneered Eileen. "You are quite willing for