The Happiest Time of Their Lives

called the real object of her recent visit. Not, of course, that Adelaide was more interested in Marty Burke than in her daughter's future, but a titanic struggle fired her imagination more than a p

; she threw out her hands, castin

oft-hearted creature! I've ask

herself into he

rvelous you are

ed her father's expression, a stiffening

isapproves of me, M

so unkind," re

to induce a slight scowl, "if we are

are," sai

e sensible creatures-talk it over here"-Adelaide looked lovingly around her own subdued room-"inst

rather comfortable when

ng embarrassed over his

ooked at h

elves and dirty rugs? And I don't doubt," she added very gently, "that for t

," said Mr. Lanley, rather sharply: "I'm sure t

ed her d

to choose betwee

Mr. Lanley. "Don

e in gently a

liked Mrs. Wayne, Mam

nity to exercise one of

urse I don't advocate, after fifty, dressing like an Eton boy

de, quietly, "would you

You know, she's

as really

ht say. I rather thought I was sparing your feelings. After all, wh

n I saw her," s

urned to h

say anything that should have wo

ley hes

Mathilde did no

shoulders and look

e?" she

thilde, laying her li

ng up, kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

to dinner to-

ley said no, he couldn'

did not let him

to do to-night, Papa

a governor

a week

l pretense of not coming, and

er of his, whom he loved and admired so much. She pictured her as white-haired, benignant, brooding, the essential mother, with all her own mother's grace and charm left out, yet with these qualit

for dinner she tried to confid

a son, how would you feel towa

de answered; and added an instant later, "and I s

ion. She would wear her best dress that evening, the dress which her mother considered

. Wayne referred to it, and of course there was no possible reason why she should not refer to it, Adelaide would never let him hear the last of it. It would be natural for Adelaide to think it queer that he hadn't told her about it. And the reason he hadn't told was perfectly clear: it was on that infernal pier that he had formed such an adverse opinion of Mrs. Wayne. But of course he did not wis

, five minutes after eight, a moment not too early to emb

de, for one who had been almost perfectly brought up, did some

's that you have on? Never saw it before. Not so becomin

easier to die immediately, and was rev

g I had never seen Mathilde looking so well,

pfather, disturbed by her constant suspicion that he read her h

d about, kissing her father and arranging the chairs. "Do you know, Vin, why it is that Pringle li

Adelaide is apt to be in wr

her people," she returned, just laying her hand an instant on his s

what the Waynes t

this. She knew her mother did not

young man-" be

e tone, "for a hostess to be in her drawing-room at least fi

eaded, "I don't talk like

," she retorted. "There's the bell at last; but it alway

eight," said Farron, and Mat

in black and very grand. No one would have supposed that she had murmured to Pete just bef

I'm late,"

ntroduction she had planned, he himself put the hand he was holding into his mother's. "This is my girl, Mother," he said. They smiled at each other. M

Wayne's entrance. "Oh, no, you're not late; exactly on time,

rs. Wayne, and withdre

complished: no public be

s arm; he was not so angry at her as he had supposed. He did not think her offensive or unfeminine or half baked or s

d Mathilde's hand within his own a

e alley between the candles, for the low, golden dish of ho

ever told me ab

rying to start a little conversational hare of his own,

in my employ," said Vincent. "Wha

rise in his tone

h, that is, as one ever can of a

d you hea

Wayne's. He just dropped in while I was there and, metapho

ve, confess to enjoy

nt ob

citing," answ

y excitement

ts it done i

t it was almost hostile flas

murmure

they talk

l Sykes," said Adelaide, catchin

er and a very bad influ

middle-weight b

of my stevedore

claimed, "I do wish you would

im eighty-five dollars a month and giv

one him down?" pleaded Mrs.

e is his being just as he is. He's a myth, a her

ol him?" asked Adelaide, languidl

nd glance

ou want, Adel

a littl

who wants you to do something-rathe

ravely to t

you want,

and as she was about to find wor

ll you aft

tell the story," his mo

do me injust

nd she turned to him with a caressing graciousness in which she was extremely at her ease. Mathilde, recognizing that her mother was pleased, though not being very c

seeming to drink in every word he was saying,

et it annulled if only B

f the boy and tell him that hi

accept that challenge? She wanted him to, and yet she thought he would be de

s an acceptance. This from Vincent meant that th

claimed Adelaide. "For

ate to see wild c

with wild beasts,

hy

worst of it in

ent she felt his complete supremacy. Then another thought shot throug

e prolonged role of spectator. He preferred danger to oblivio

e the b

must have been terribly tac

y drew hi

t angry,"

im with a sort

the impress

the reply made him see t

said. "What I mean is that I

ete were equally immersed, murmuring sentences of the profo

. Why, he wondered, did she want to teas

ning-room Pete said to Mathi

that magazine

a, the clever, rather wicked idea. He made her work h

" she asked, wit

d bent their heads over it w

idea what it is

se there's somethi

er is perfectly wo

ve yo

far back. Adelaide sank into a chair, looking, as she often did, as if she had just been brilliantly well posed for a photograph. Farron wa

onference?"

made it so

re they really in love? A

know of it for another ten years? You must have some cha

rn and cynical and material." He stopped short in his eloquence at the thought that Mrs. Wayne was quite obviously not hardened or world-worn or cynical or mate

urned to h

k they are i

r a second, and then he

ized the fact, the engagemen

h overshoes and with pins for her trailing skirt, did not seem too enthusiastic at the suggestion. She stood a moment

vely night

nce deprived Mr. Lanley of the delight of bestowin

r of her natural guardians, like a well-trained puppy who wan

ow, Vin, he and Mrs. Wayne quarreled like mad las

o you

trying to smooth

between admiration and comp

ightly. "Yes, and I heard you, too, an

smiling at his stepdau

you are, Adela

e to overhear. You just read the human heart by some black mag

ell you that I approve of the young man. He has a fine, delicate touch on l

. Gratitude and delight h

ful, Mr. Farron," she an

nd he held out his hand for a letter tha

had impressed on Joe Severance was that he must never inq

thinking and d

insatiable, pressed n

you think o

envelope, and answered wit

was an elderl

d, seeing that the letter had a printe

the house, Pri