The Custom of the Country

of the Central Park. She had put on her plainest dress, and wound a closely, patterned veil over her least v

accidental encounter with Ralph Marvell as by the remembrance of similar meetings, far from accidental, with the romantic Aaronson. Could it be that the hand now adorned with Ralph's engagement ring

ounded surfaces, and the sanguine innocence of a complexion belied by prematurely astute black eyes, had a look of jovial cunning which Undine had formerly thought "smart" but which now struck her as merely vulgar. She felt that in the Marvell set Elmer Moffatt would have been stamped as "not a gentleman." Nevertheless something in his look seemed to promise the capacity to develop into any character he might care to assume; though it

ir of assurance was replaced by an e

!" he said, taking her lifeless fin

e formed the words:

d you see I believed you.

beginning like this," sh

lk along a little ways? It's

toward the Ramble and the girl moved on

tt paused again to say: "If we're going to talk I'd like to see you. Undine;

but you're paler." After another appreciative scrutiny he added: "There's mighty few wom

er, but she softened her f

e you too, Elme

tinued to study her humorously. "You didn'

I thought you were ou

which he habitually vented his surprise. "You DID? Di

. "Father? Why, have you seen him

running yet!" he said gaily. "I wish I could s

the way father did," she hazarded at length

believe you'd ever have acted mean to

ve you my word--but I was so youn

WOULD teach a girl much to be engaged two years to a stiff like Millard Bi

"Oh, Elmer--I was only a child

a good while afterward. The Apex Eagle a

what's the

Undine--what CAN we talk about? I unde

very. "I only meant to say--what's the

is it? Was that why you t

n't mean to; only, y

ng there alongside of you, wasn't he? I don't wonder he was. I remember. But I don't see that that was a reason for cold-shouldering me. I

ive, the statement did not immediately pr

offatt--

ou'd have remembered me la

look of pale intensity. "You're LIVING in New Yo

d for somebody who could give him an inside tip on the Eubaw mine deal--you know the Driscolls are pretty deep in Eubaw. I happened to go out there after our little unpleas

herself, held out h

ean I'm real glad you've

y, you might mention the fact to Abner

d then went on: "You must see now that it was natural

ut I'm free to admit I wasn't a promising case in those days." His glance played ov

th a burning face

all right. Look at here, Undine, suppose you let

wn the windings of the wooded

you--not to say anything

about yo

dded m

Anybody been saying

It's no

d digging the tip of his walking-stick into a fissure of the asphalt. At length he went on in a tone that showed a

ss. "No, no--you don't understand. All

all straight enough,

interpolated a whistle which made her add: "What I mean is that out he

Gee! How'd they expect her fair young life to pass? Playing 'Ho

. It's all different. Their

xcuse ME! I ought to have remembered. Where's your chaperon, Miss Spragg?" He crooked his arm with

--if you really believe I never wanted to ac

ved nearer to her. "What is it you want,

any of his folks found out, they'd never let him marry me--never! And he wouldn't

and repugnances, and impelled by the passionate absorbin

d me, help me now, and I'll

his ground steadily, though her entreating hands, her glowi

ponge over Elmer Moffatt of Apex City? Cut th

chance--I can't lose it!

y before. Don't you be afraid of me--_I_ ain't going to interrupt the wedding march."

want to butt into your set--not for social purposes, anyhow; but if ever it should come han

ulous moment or two; then she held out her hand. "

t, swinging about to follow her as sh

ng. What she wanted was solitude, and the time to put some order into her thoughts; and she hoped to steal into her room without meeting her mother. Through her thick veil the clusters of lights in the Spragg drawing-room dilated and flowed together i

am." He lifted her hand to his lips as his

rvous gesture. "I told

horribly tired, and wishing wit

she rejoined, trying to h

minute; but of course if you say so I'll be off." She was removing her long gloves an

an through her: he felt

ever could bear it," she

n; that is, if the d

might not come back to-morrow. I look perfectly

eautiful for a man who's bli

d stood still while he undid her veil. As he put it back their l

ed from worship to concern. "Dear! Why,

inctive effort to hide her face. His pers

e horrid; and it made me so cross and nervous!" She turne

can't we be married to-morrow, and escape all these ridiculous preparations

ce lit up by a new idea. He was extraordinarily hands

I wish we COULD be

Dearest--dearest! Don't, if you don't

of tenderness, but as if too deeply lost in a n

m. "And the rest--why shouldn't the rest be sent over to Europe after us? I want to go straight off with you, away from everything--

-my darling!" Ma