Kate kept watching Nancy Ellen’s discontented face.  At last she said:  “Cheer up, child!  There isn’t a word of truth in it!”

“I know it,” said Nancy Ellen.

“Then why take the way of all the world to start, and keep people talking?” asked Kate.

“I’m not doing a thing on earth but attending strictly to my own business,” said Nancy Ellen.

“That’s exactly the trouble,” said Kate.  “You’re not.  You let the little heifer have things all her own way.  If it were my man, and I loved him as you do Robert Gray, you can stake your life I should be doing something, several things, in fact.”

“This is interesting,” said Nancy Ellen.  “For example —?”

Kate had not given such a matter a thought.  She looked from the window a minute, her lips firmly compressed.  Then she spoke slowly:  “Well, for one thing, I should become that woman’s bosom companion.  About seven times a week I should uncover her most aggravating weakness all unintentionally before the man in the case, at the same time keeping myself, strictly myself.  I should keep steadily on doing and being what he first fell in love with.  Lastly, since eighteen years have brought you no fulfillment of the desire of your heart, I should give it up, and content myself and delight him by taking into my heart and home a couple of the most attractive tiny babies I could find.  Two are scarcely more trouble than one; you can have all the help you will accept; the children would never know the difference, if you took them as babies, and soon you wouldn’t either; while Robert would be delighted.  If I were you, I’d give myself something to work for besides myself, and I’d give him so much to think about at home, that charming young grass widows could go to grass!”

“I believe you would,” said Nancy Ellen, wonderingly.  “I believe you would!”

“You’re might right, I would,” said Kate.  “If I were married to a man like Robert Gray, I’d fight tooth and nail before I’d let him fall below his high ideals.  It’s as much your job to keep him up, as it is his to keep himself.  If God didn’t make him a father, I would, and I’d keep him busy on the job, if I had to adopt sixteen.”

Nancy Ellen laughed, as they went to their berths.  The next morning they awakened in cool Michigan country and went speeding north among evergreen forests and clear lakes mirroring the pointed forest tops and blue sky, past slashing, splashing streams, in which they could almost see the speckled trout darting over the beds of white sand.  By late afternoon they had reached their destination and were in their rooms, bathed, dressed, and ready for the dinner hour.  In the evening they went walking, coming back to the hotel tired and happy.  After several days they began talking to people and making friends, going out in fishing and boating parties in the morning, driving or boating in the afternoon, and attending