A Hazard of New Fortunes, Part Third

ss and less sufficient as she examined it, and she even admitted a little curiosity as a harmless element in her motive, without being very well satisfied with it. She tried to a

, with their impersonal costliness, gave her no suggestion how to proceed; the two sisters were upon her before she had really decided, and she rose to meet them with the conviction that she was going to play a part for want of some chosen means of not doing so. She found herself, before she knew it, making her banjo a property in the little comedy, and professing so much pleasure in the fact that Miss Dryfoos was taking it up; she had herself been so much interested by it. Anything, she said, was a relief from the piano; and then, between the guita

"I always feel like it was going to settle somewhere, and I want to hit myself a sla

gathering herself together, "And you are both learning the banjo?" "My, no!"

ut found it hard to cope with the fact that this was the lady friend whose banjo Beaton had lent them

nking her. "Of course," she said, "I expect to get anoth

u haven't a teacher yet I shou

suited with the one she's got," she said, with insinuation. Her sister

; I don't like to make a second choice. In a shop I like to take the first thing of

ed over all the rest. My luck always seems to be at the bottom of the heap. Now, Christine, she's more li

rity. "He says the reason so many people don't get what they want is that they don't w

of the best gas-wells on it now that there is anywhere." She addressed the explanation to her sister, to the exclusion of Margaret, who, nevertheless, listened with a smiling fac

to see it!" said Margaret, with a

of sick of it, but I suppos

ells when they lit them up," said Christin

used to by our spring-house-so still, and never spreadun' any, just like a

themselves from the number and violence of the wells on their father's property; they bragged of the high civilization of Moffitt, which they com

h I should like to see it all!" The

ning at a little concert which a musical friend is going to give with some other artists. There won't be any banjos,

e; you couldn't get her out for love or money." But she was herself overwhelmed with a simple joy at Margaret's politeness, and showed

e can live?" she demanded of he

hristine. "I guess she

een lending

t it out of Mr. Beaton the next time he calls. I guess she's somebody. Mrs. Mandel can tell. I wish that old friend of hers would hurry up and git well-or something. But I guess we appeared about as well as she

t till I know who

mp ourselves if we're

sda

to these girls because she had tried to make them happy, and she hoped that in the interest she had shown there had been none of the poison of flattery. S