d Selma of her husband

profession. The only respite he allows himself are these Saturday evenings, and his devotion to his little son who has hip disease.

e is ma

a wid

e was good enough to say that

Pauline for years. They are devoted friends-but until now that is all. His wife was an actress-a handsome creature. Two years after they were m

dread

way. He had the pride and confidence of ability, but he lacked sympathy. His experience and the appealing presence of his son have developed his

line care

lasses, and in matters pertaining to the higher education of women. George Page knew her at the time of his marriage. I do not mean that he paid her serious attention then, but he had the opport

his best to the other woman. He is the one at fault, not Pauline.

so, Selma. Love makes women blind to faults. But po

her own life merely because he is lonely. We modern women have too much

urmured Littleton, "an

foolish boy. But as to this evening, it wasn't at all

they seem to you frivolo

ertainly said n

a set of hard workers. The stress of life is so rigorous and constant here in New York that we have learned not to take our pleasure sa

id, "That reminds me; have you found o

r named Willia

this morning. She was beautifu

are

the same style o

ways of making money. We

nced. She stopped to speak to some one just in front of the house, so I could observe her. I should think she was

time just because she looks in earnest, as it is to yo

e may teach us to be practical. You know that is what yo

talk a word o

ou think it is true t

ou think it, just as I have told you that we

nough yet. I shall know better b

rang the bell deliberately one afternoon and was ushered in, thereby bridging over summarily the yawning chasm whic

three weeks before you, so I'm the one who ought to break the ice. Otherwise we might have stared at each other blankly for three months, looked at each other sheepishly out of

ness was no less marked than Mrs. Hallett Taylor's, and, to her mind, more brilliant, yet whom she felt at once to be congenial. Though she perceived that her nei

ary-I mean Mr. Littleton, of course-and when he found out that he was I said we must certainly cultivate you as an antidot

We are buying things by degrees,

"I dare say the house would have been prettier if we could have taken more time. However, it is all paid for now. Some of it was bought on the instalment plan, but Gregory bough

was duly appreciative of the distinction of being literary. Besides, her ready disposition to talk about herself and her affairs seemed to Selma the sign of a willingness to be truly friendly. The seal-skin cape she wore was very handsome, and she was more conspicuously attired from head to foot than any woman with whom Selma had ever conversed. She was pretty, too-a type of beauty less spiritual than her own-with piquant, eager features, laughing, restless gray

l," she replied, re

the shop-window and went in and bought it. Speaking of husbands, you won't mind my saying that I t

ose it would seem flat if I were to say tha

o become friends? We are the pioneers in this block, but I hear

t. We have a

sure to become more valuable. He hopes to be able to sell some day for a great d

old her

oth strangers in New York. That is, I'm the same as a stranger, though my father is a cousin of the Morton Prices. We sent them wedding cards and they called one day when I was out. I shall return the call and find them out, and that will be the last move on either side until Gregory does something remarkable. I'm rather glad

that it was very strange of your cousin

so awkward. As Christians, they had to call on me, but I really

ry we are all

ething of the sort in the Declaration of Independence, but, as Gregory says, that was p

of the group of houses on Benham's River Drive into which she had never been invited. "There we

lf is divided into sets. There's the conservative aristocratic set, the smart rapid set, the set which hasn't much money, but has Knickerbocker or other highly respectable ancestors, the new millionaire set, the literary s

said Selm

ding on by our teeth to the fringe of the social merry-go-round. I wouldn't admit it to any one but you; but as you are a stranger like myself and in the same bl

are your cousin

nd really, it's quite just in one way that incense should be burnt before them. You mustn't look so disgusted, because there's some sense in it all. As Gregory says, it's best to look things squarely in the face. Most of the people in these different sets are somebodies because either their grandfathers or th

eth but once a day, looke

t establishes class distinctions. I don't ap

ns that I am really worthy of their attention. There are a few who are able to be superior to that sort of thing, who go on living their own lives attractively and finely, without thinking of society, and who suddenly wake up some day to find themselves socially famous-to find that they have been taken up. That's the best way, but one requires to be the right sort of person and to have a lot of moral courage. I can imagine it happening to you and your husband. But it would never happen to Gregory and me. We shall have to make money and cut a dash in order to attract attention, and by-and-by, if

knew that even if they did exist, they could not possibly concern Wilbur and herself. Even Mrs. Williams had appreciated that Wilbur and her literary superiority put them above and beyond the application of any snobbish, artificial, social measuring-tape. And yet Selma's brow was clouded. Her thought reverted to the row of stately houses on either side of Fifth Avenue, into none of w

using person, and quite pretty. We took a fancy to each other. But what do

ust be a woman of discrimination-l

. So you thi

position? Ours is as g

as chiefly in connection with herself, but she intimated that neither they, nor we, are the-er-equals of the people who live on Fifth Avenue and ther

de considerable prog

prefer people who are willing to t

commercial progress of the city. The present generation are eminently respectable, very dignified, mi

d the people of that set are obliged to take notice of her, and that she an

ag is a familiar one. She must be a

d that she called on me because she thought that we were literary, and that she desired an antidote to

s neig

t you didn't buy our hou

't money enough

er. She says her husband thinks the land will increase in value, and they ho

't sure we should like the location, and it isn't certain yet that fashion will move in just this direct

e may take us up any time. She thi

make you jealous, Selma. Was th

er of any Morton Price

ifely conclusion. Provided you think so,

er because people of that sort don't invite

nent. That's what you have in mind, I think. I don't know those people; they don't know me. Consequently they do not ask me to their beautiful and costly entertainments. Some day, perhaps, if I am very successful as an architect, we may come more in contact with them, and they will have a chance to discover what a charmi

expression. "It troubles me. It isn't American. I didn't think such distinctions existed in this

rominence to their doings. Here, where fortunes have been made so rapidly, and we have no formal aristocracy, money undoubtedly plays a conspicuous part in giving access to what is known as society. But it is

ay that we don'

e neither the means nor the time to take part in fashion

thing of the sort. It is like Euro

e best Americanism to waste one's time in pursuing frivolities and excessive luxury, as some of these people do; but there's nothing un-American in making the most of one's opportunities. As I've said to you before, Selma, it's the way in which one rises that's the important thing in the individual equation, and every

s of them, Wilbur. What I don't understand is why su

the day-laborer in his muddy garb would not find himself at ease in a Fift

not day-

ut humble station, we have each other's love to give us courage to fight the battle of life