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lowed them and spoke to Elva In the
station, She gave him a freezing
look, exclaiming: "How dare you!"
"I beg your pardon," he said, and
went on.
Janet had hurried on, leaving Elva
to her fate, but the girl overtook her
the next minute.
"There!" said Janet. "I hope you
have had enough."
"No," she answered. "I am rather
sorry I had to send him off. I like
him. I want to see hlm again."
"He looked as though he were
somebody," observed Janet.
"Yes, didn't he?"
One day Mrs. Bentley, who gave
pleasant little teas and dinners, and
was very fond of having the two at
tractive young girls among her
guests; said quite confidentially to
them: "I hope to have the son of an
old friend hero today. He's a splendid
fellow, one of the most successful
lawyers down town, rich, and a great
catch. Now, girls, I've given you the
tip, let us see which one wins."
Later on she whispered to ' them
that he had arrived, and soon after
presented Mr. Stuart Cass. He was
Mva's "crush" of the subway. As
Mrs. Bentley turned away he smiled,
and said: "Are you going to let me
speak to you now that we are prop
erly introduced ? "
Elva stammered out a laughing ac
quiescence and the two were soon on
the best of terms. So engrossed was
Case with the girl that Janet, feel
ing very much out of it, excused her
self and left them together.
Mrs. Bentley laughingly . drew
Janet's attention to the rapid pro
gress her friend was making in the
conquest of young Mr. Cass. Later
in the evening Janet had a short con
versation with him. She found the
stranger bright, thoughtful and orig
inal. She was bound to admit he had
attracted her as no man ever had be
fore. Then a great wave of yes, it
was jealousy surged over her. Elva
in her rattlebrain way had made the
real impression on this man. So
after all the miscellaneous flirtation
was no obstacle to the regard of a
real gentleman. Her mother's teach--Inga
and her own delicate sense of
womanliness had always kept, her
from this. She believed that a girl
of good breeding shrank from mak
ing herself conspicuous in any way
among strangers. But perhaps she
was very much behind the times.
Elva after this frequently told Ja
net of the car rides, suppers and va
rious attentions of Stuart Cass.
"Are you engaged?" she asked.
'.'Not yet," answered Elva in a tone
that meant it was a foregone con
clusion. One day she laughingly said: "Stu
art has been asking me questions
about the 'mid-Victorian lady,'
meaning you."
"Oh!" said Janet emphatically, but
with an inward pang the other en
tirely, failed to sense.
"Yes, and he asked me to bring
him to call on you. I'd be hgrribly
jealous, if I well, wasn't pretty sure
of him."
After Stuart Cass was brought by
Elva to call he continued to come
without his companion. He began to
send Janet flowers and to ask her
with her aunt o the theater and op
era. She knew she had given this
man her heart and she wondered
how It would end. She felt she must
know if he cared for her friend.
"I wonder," she said to him, "if
you are . reading the 'mid-Victorian,
lady as you would Jane Austin, just
out of curiosity to get some idea of
the period."
He looked at her quizzically.
"I see she told you. No! No!" he
protested. "I wanted to know you
first because I saw the touch of re
finement, womanliness, which would
not let you do what what so many
young girls think nothing of. I want
to" go "on knowing you because I
love you."
"But," stammered Janet, "Elva
you have made her think "
"Nothing!" he broke In quickly. "I
