ate emotion the unlicensed habitues lavish upon one another. "Wild nights" witnessed no abatement of her energies. In the restaurants frequented by the night queen and her following there was animation. The flight of the beautiful woman was swift and precedent at least decreed it to be short. Notwithstanding this there was no limitation to her vivacity.

Brunettes are said to have been born to lavish their affections on the opposite sex; blondes, the same authority says are created to be loved. Norma was a brunette.

A young woman, whose raiment was as far removed from the suggestion of home sentiment as is possible to imagine, came out upon the stage at the performance they were attending and sang with good imitation of righteous emotion a song, the title of which was: "Are you the kind of a man your mother thought you would be?" Ephraim in particular appeared affected. A discordant note had been aroused by the words. The young singer was just as ready for the proverbial good time after her "turn" on the stage as any other one of the entertainers. The thought of home and mother did not deter her from escapades in the lobster palace precinct. She just sang that topical song because there was temperamentality in the gay throng which had to be concentrated on some sentiment, and because there was money in it for her.

No matter how far one strays from the right path of rectitude there is always an incident-a spoken word, a song, the quotation of a poet's couplet, to give a timely warning. It is not always heeded-more often not than otherwise perhaps.

This incident is recalled: A business man in a downtown district of New York, strong in the characteristics that hold one steadfast to the marriage

vows, was unexpectedly attracted to the side line of wrong doing, that is, as the old-fashioned way of thinking decrees. According to new society thought -more modern ethics, he was just indiscreet. In any event, a stenographer, of most attractive appearance and unusual intelligence, became more and more important to his office requirements. With the preferential position emphasized by her employer, she assumed a more dictatorial air and made a disquieting atmosphere. There is only one cause for a condition such as this, which disorganizes, yes, demoralizes an office-too intimate understanding between employ. er and employee. This was the case with these two. Finally, one afternoon at a late hour, while seated in a big arm chair at his mahogany desk, in his luxuriously furnished office, the man was discovered by a friend, whose office was diagonally across the court at the same dizzy height on a corresponding floor of another building. Knowing the telephone number of his friend, the last mentioned gentleman took down the transmitter of his own telephone and called up the very much engaged gentleman. When Central rang the bell a thoroughly surprised young woman jumped up from the lap of her startled employer. She had been siting there some time, the two having no idea that their presence in the office after business hours was known to any one. In a voice disguised as much as possible, the troublesome friend inquired after the health of the belated business man. Next he wanted to know if his friend was not working over time. Cautioned against too close attention to business the tantalizing interview was carried on until a final question was squarely inflicted upon the much embarrassed individual. "How is your wife these days? I don't see you out with her as often as heretofore." With a burst of anger, incited by surprise and indignation

the man demanded to know with whom he was talking. "It is your conscience, that friend from whom you cannot hide, was the last word spoken in an interview never forgotten by any one of the three who knew of it-particularly the indiscreet business man.

Ephraim was listening to his conscience now, as he had to the singer who repeated the catchy words: "Are you the kind of man your mother thought that you would be?"

CHAPTER XVI.

Back at The Glen Annabelle busied herself with summer rambles, mountain climbing, contact with nature, and thought. Near the crystal waters of a companionable brook she sat and listened. With this music sweet and low she became fascinated, and, finally entranced as the endless beverage of the gods flowed on continuously. Surrounded by harebells, wild flowers and ferns she became sleepy. The pigeon and more musical song birds flew about her, first quaffing nectar to quench their parched throats, then flying aloft apparently mounting invisible perches just beneath the sky. She traveled to mystic lands as the haze thickened. Her vision was of a fair one who held thousands in rapture with the silver intonation of her voice. In the realm of musical enchantment she soothed the pains, the sorrows and distresses of a multitude. Like the vapor of incense in her imagination her gift of melody permeated the very being of her subjects.

Then the scene of Annabelle's reverie would undergo a change. With the rays of a sunset warm and bright, falling full upon her young face she reposed in the light of the smile of Ephraim, Away from the green velvet hills, in the city far distant, she was reaching out her trusting hand, expecting it to meet a hand warm and assuring. But no hand touched hers. Only the gold and crimson light fell upon the extended hand. Her face, quiet in drowsiness, plainly manifested disappointment. Soon the clouds gathered and this child of the land of floral fragrance and rural simplicity, even in her awakening hour sensed the thanksgiving of a mother's presence. Her eyes, so

mild and blue, dilated as the gentle parent was observed beside her. Her form lay, stretched at full length, with abandon and young womanly grace, upon the banks of the stream. The caressing that followed was just as genuine as all previous emotions had been. Then there came a dispelling of the shadows which had threatened to settle upon her. In a final betrayal of the sentiment that occupied the innermost recess of her confiding heart she sweetly spoke the one word, "Samuel."

Throwing off the bonds of slumber, she opened her eyes, looked about and fully understood the whole situation, just as the end of the day came, and her parting footsteps appeared to be the accompaniment of the waters of the brook, which registered tones like musical chords, sweet and low.

For five years, at least, Annabelle had been laughing her way into the affections of those, who went to The Glen in the spring, summer and autumn of the year. One of her effervescent personality can no more exist without adding to the merriment of the community than the mirthfully inclined could fail to pay homage to the hilarity queen. The disciples of the philosopher Zeno were not confined to the school in the colonnade at Athens. The Glen had in its cynical population certain austere, misanthropic, descendants of the Greek teachers, who manifested ostentatious contempt for enjoyment. These stoical old kill-joys sowed the seed of discontent in the garden spot of the Adirondacks where blossoms of contentment, sought to develop.

Annabelle, with a predominance of laughter and a temperament that inclined to the light, enjoyable, felicitous side of life, was not immune to the atmossphere of the oppressors. She could not acclimate herself to the depressing attempts of the confirmed mal