It Pays to Smile

than politeness in a mansion, and this came at once to mind upon the occasion of our vis

ak, with the armistice in his pocket. Sebastian, as I was now instructed to call Mr. Markheim, had desired us to come sooner, in o

lf, and she gave as excuse for the delay the necessity for making these readjustments herself. Richard was to be left in complete charge and she busied herself quite unnecessarily in showing him a thousand details. Every week she would promise to be ready, and when the tim

the prospect that on the night before our departure I found myself unable to compose myself to slumber, and ris

s surroundings with the same eyes which envisioned it upon my arrival so long ago. This sudden clarity of vision was doubtless due to the subconscious influence of my impending departure. At any

ate about our more than practical, enterprising organization. Rather it bore the general aspect of Boston Common after an August holiday. It was, in plain truth, shockingly untidy, and I was horrified to realize that even I, who had been so carefully reared by the immaculate Euphemia, had made only the most feeble sort of effort to tidy up. I had been unable to see the molehills for the mountains, as one might say. But now, with the thought of the concentrated, condensed East before me, I perceived the unevenness of our paths, the forg

bin where it belonged, thus at once satisfying a normal impulse and proving to myself that my upbringing had not been in vain, when I became aware that

ld not do so. Since the announcement of her betrothal to Markheim a wall had sprung up between us as far as her intimate life was

hheld, and yet I felt it my bounden duty as her chaperon and guardian and older woman generally to know all about her by one means or another, for her own good, an

window. "No use kidding myself. I'll make

ir over my head and landed in the pool with a splash. The window above was closed with a snap. W

where the object fell, and kneeling on the concrete basin's brim, greatly to the detriment of that portion of my anatomy which bore the weight, being clad only for private li

ency such as reaching a high-hung apple, had fallen a little short this time, her secret having hit the shallow end of the pond. And s

handkerchief and weighted with the bronze paper-weight I had given Peaches for Christmas. But I was too much interested to mind this slight. For inside the bun

urned to the light and examined the wallet carefully. It seemed to me that there simply must be more to the matter than appeared. In any of those books which had so deep an influence upon my early thinking the discoverer of such a wallet would have surprised a jewel of value, secret documents popularly referred to as 'the papers,' or a m

that. So I simply decided to put the thing carefully away in the bottom of my reticule in case it was ever needed. What with the war and all, one never can tell who is going to turn up a hero;

use I was determined to take care of Peaches in spite of herself, and the next morning rose refreshed,

tering it had been bent rather in the direction of improving its livableness and making it a cheerier spot to which to bring a young wife. The object of our visit was that Peaches be given t

ospect thus opened up before him, and I was myself much elated at the thought of experiencing some real social life once more, for Abby's hospitality in dear old Italy, so lavish and yet in such excellent good form

e, don't you worry about me! We all have to grow up sometime, don't we? Can't stay young plants forever-especially we

indelicacy and did no

," I said stiffly, "you ought to dissolve your betro

ou know about it. I'm very fond of Mr. Mark-of

love him!" I pr

s-like a young Portia, so stately and serious. "And even if he is ha

!" I retorted. "Oh, Peaches,

defensively bantering light

asures, cultured people, and things-social position-there must be joy in these things or folks would not struggle for them so! And since they must be filling up the emptiness in a whole lot of lives I'm going to have a try at them too. Don't be

dead would have been more suitable. But things had already gone too far for that. At the time the above-recorded conversation took place we were standing upon the steps of the Ritz in New

ne had the good sense to take fate by the horns and as Peaches would say "beat him to it"-why, so much t

ou girls marry until Mister Right comes along." And we were brought up to honor and obey our parents-with

ed in ignorance, and her title, The Duchess, is all that I identify her by. But this estimable lady, while somewhat given to the recounting of scandalous episodes and the misfortunes peculiar to innocent maidens, had a wealth of descriptive power when she undertook

ly low white fa?ades rising in a symmetrical group one above the other, the whole nestling into the budding verdure of the hil

a fitting habitat. And then when I saw that little, comparatively speaking, Markheim man trotting about in front of her and giving her the place with a gesture as he displayed each treasure in turn, I felt sick and faint in

the happy couple as they made the tour of the house-"Sebastian, this place loo

ian la

uble to gather it-not to speak of the cost in money. They have a strict law against taking objects of art out of their country, you know, and it's been nip and tuck getting hold of a lot of th

swell!" sa

d the door into the newest addition to the house-the library wing, which he

erly distributed stars gave a sense of infinite space, and despite the cumbersome old Florentine furniture the room was neither heavy nor dull. There was just enough gold to furnish flashes of light, and the warm old amber brocade on the chairs seemed to catch and hold the sunlight which poured through the long narrow windows at the west, all of which opened directly upon the f

ch are impressed upon the popular mind in spite of itself through endless repetition upon postal and Christmas cards, engravers' windows, magazine covers and

f the public is not the public mind of the collector. It has to be told, in other words, when

n a robe of sapphire blue which falls from her head in thick sweeping folds and crosses her knee in such a way as to give the appearance of being blown from behind by a wind and aiding in the

Florence by Raphael about the year 1506 and is

vas-the original frame, it was believed to be, and the motif of the design was carried out in a molding which diminished into a faint bas-relief at the outer edges of the large wall space above the mantel where it hung. Nor was the picture hung too high. Even I c

d, looking not at the Madonna bu

k the questi

little picture?" he asked incredulously. "Why, from t

r, her face alight with pleasure. "It's a real mother and child," she added.

buke I got one of those rare

nt, however, w

st antiques. But five hundred thousand! My Lord, look at the profit? There ca

ng him precious little g

ell!" comm

e of his choice of subj

otten and shall never forget how gently he led me to see the error of my ways when I first hit the ranch-as, for example, when I unknowingly made culls of his best tree of home fruit and he urged me to make marmalade of them and never told me until afterward that th

y cretonnes and flowering plants, wicker chairs and caged canaries. Two menservants served the refection. Mr. Sebastian Markheim had a considerabl

about it," had been her obje

thing. I could now live as I chose instead of as I aught, if you understand me. But I knew that Peaches would have to get a female attendant after she was married. Markheim was not the man to allow his wi

sed checks. And would there be any checks to send her? Where would they come from? It was a chilling thought, as will readily be admitted. Why I had not thought of it soone

t twenty thousand dollars distributed among six savings banks. That might conceivably tide us over for the remainder of our lives. But I had acquired the habit of remunerative occupation and close companionship with dear friends; also a taste for French h

a second sugared bun and rising remarked that as Sebastian expected dinner g

Peaches rose also and said she would accompany me. My heart was heavy, and for once I would have preferred to be alone. B

ed, with such perfection of detail that it possessed an air of old mystery difficult to define, and under ordinary circumstances most fascinating-a real achievement on the part of architect and decorator ali

the spring-scented river below, and the lingering twilight filled the great hall with mysterious shadows. There was not another soul in sight and not a sound to be heard except the distant murmur of the men's talk and the voice of a pleasure boat distantl

y?" said Peache

involuntarily. "One might a

d trembling against the stone wall of the passageway. But for a moment I could not come to her aid. My limbs seemed frozen, paraly

Duke di M