but had no final way of establishing her innocence beyond saying, "Why, Mell, I haven't done a thing but be myself." That was just it. Each had been herself, and Persis's self had proved 75a more acceptable fact than Mellicent's; a fact that no amount of persistent protest could deny; a fact that was visible under every cloak of pretence.

The elder sister stood looking after the younger one as she left the room. "Dear me," she said, "I wonder why here at home I must rub someone the wrong way. It used to be Lisa, and now it is Mellicent. I get along beautifully everywhere else and am never considered unamiable. I see I will have to do as I used to, and go talk it over with grandmother."

It seemed to Persis that she detected a growing feebleness in her beloved grandmother, a transparency of the fair, pure skin which betokened a nearer approach to spirituality. Still, the smile with which she greeted her favorite granddaughter had nothing of pain in it.

"Oh, grandsie dear," said this middle one, bending to kiss her, "here comes the same old sixpence. You'd suppose that three years of college would have taught me to unravel my difficulties without anyone's help, but as soon as I get home again, I find myself lapsing into the old ways."

"Dear child, I'm glad of it. It makes you seem less grown-up. I cannot quite get used to your being a woman."

"I can't help myself, I think I'll be a long time getting to the real grown-up point. Sometimes I actually feel like playing with my dolls. I do like to dress them, even yet, and there are some other infantile delights which still appeal to me strongly."

76"Such as — — ?"

"Scraping the preserving kettle and eating cake dough."

"Truly infantile. Anything else?"

"Yes, I like to make faces at myself in the glass. I can get into shrieks of laughter, when I am entirely alone, at some of my contortions."

"You are a child, Persis."

"I said so. But now, grandsie dear, tell me what is your full and unbiassed opinion of Mellicent."

"Mellicent?" Grandmother looked astonished.

"Yes. Do you all spoil her, or is she a little fraud who gulls everybody, or what?"

Mrs. Estabrook looked sober. "My dear, that is a serious question."

"I know it." And then Persis told her a late experience.

"I've been afraid for some time that Mellicent was not developing the nobler side of her nature," was the remark Mrs. Estabrook made when Persis had finished. "She has been so delicate that your father and mother have considered her health before anything else. I hope that when she is really a woman and her health is established, she will be stronger morally. Her great trouble is that she wants to be considered first with everyone, just as she is so considered at home."

"The everlasting Ego again," returned Persis, laughing.

"Yes, and she does not realize that her very self-adoration, her love of admiration and attention, are 77winning her just the opposite from what she most ardently desires."

"She poses for an angel, and cannot fly."

"Something like that. She longs to be beloved as one who possesses the highest qualities, and the qualities are missing."

"Emerson goes into all that so well in his 'Spiritual Laws,' although, in a nutshell, what he says is, 'A man passes for what he is worth.'"

"Yes, but Persis dear, don't grow exacting and critical to such a degree as to see faults before virtues. Mellicent has many virtues."

"I know, Grandma, and I wouldn't confess to any other human being that she hadn't them all."

"Very good, then. She is so young. Let us try to help her by example, by a steadfast upholding of principle, rather than by hammering at her."

Persis flashed out a smile. "That's my way. Thank you for the use you so deftly inserted into that remark. I am a sad hammerer, I'm afraid. Now, Grandma, I do feel terrible about Aunt Esther's disaffection. Yet, after all, I think the sole reason she invites me on this trip is because I've had fewer opportunities for travel than Lisa and Mellicent."

"I've no doubt that is so."

"Nevertheless, I'd like to make it up to Mell in some way. Do you know of any place where she would especially like to go for a couple of weeks? And could you — would you go with her?"

Mrs. Estabrook gave the question a moment's thought, then she replied, "I think Mellicent has a 78great longing to go to Narragansett Pier, for she has said so many times."

"Well, Grandma dear, that much is settled. Now the other."

"About my going with her? Why, yes, I could, but I don't believe it would be the cheapest trip in the world."

"You would want to stop at a nice hotel, and I mean you shall."

"You mean."

"Yes, ma'am, if you please. I shall settle all the bills. You see," she went on, eagerly, "this invitation from Aunt Esther will save me ever so much, and I have a little reserve fund, you know."

"That you are saving towards a trip to Europe."

"Never mind Europe; it won't sink, like the lost Atlantis."

"And how about the new furnishings for your room?"

"My room has served me as it is for many years; I think I shall still manage to be comfortable in it. Now, don't say a word, Grandma. I know you think it is an extravagant scheme, and want to tell me that I am not at all thrifty to lavish my money on a trip like that; but please, ma'am, let me humor myself this time. It is purely a selfish wish, for I couldn't enjoy my own trip if I knew Mell was not having a good time; besides, it will do you both good. They say the Narragansett air is delicious, and you both need a change. Say that you'll do me the favor of smiling on my plan."

79"Well, dear, since you put it that way."

"And I want Mellicent to think it is just one of the regular summer plans and no special treat. I don't want to be mentioned in the matter."

"Why not?"

"Because I need a little wholesome discipline myself. I might be top-lofty, and I need some meekness in my composition. Don't I, truly, grandma?"

"A little, perhaps, at times."

"If there is anything I hate, too, it is to see a person make a parade of any little generous act, assuming an attitude before the world as if he would say, 'Now, everybody look at me. I've just been really liberal, and I want all the credit for it I can get.' It disposes one to think such acts are rare on the part of that special individual."

Mrs. Estabrook smiled. "There is another thing which I quite as much dislike, and that is a lack of recognition of that same generous act by the person who is the recipient. Now, I think it would be only gracious and right for Mellicent to be able to say, 'This outing was given to me by the generosity of my sister.' A person has no right to accept something of that kind without giving it due recognition. For my own part, I think I should be rather ashamed to accept a thing I could not tell about."

"Nevertheless, I'm obstinate enough to want my way this time. Perhaps you might tell her sometime, after the summer is over. Will you let it be that way?"

"Yes, if you so desire it."

80"Thank you. You're a darling — one thing more. I wish to give and transfer, without reservation, the amount I intend to spend into your hands, and you can find out if Mell would rather spend more of it on purple and fine linen, or whether she would rather go with what she would ordinarily have, and let the rest be spent in extending your stay. That's all, I believe."

"And quite enough."

"Now, do you mean I am a bore?"

"What about that wholesome humility?"

"It is needed this moment. You needn't answer my question. I'm going to hunt up Annis. Doesn't she look sweet and pretty these days?"

"She does, truly. Where are you off to?"

"A game of golf, I think."

"Isn't it too warm for exercise?"

"Oh, we can sit down between strokes if we choose."

"Is Mellicent going?"

"I don't know. I suppose she is preparing her garments for the stake, or is reading 'Joan of Arc,' maybe, or Fox's 'Book of Martyrs.'"

"Now, Persis."

"That wasn't nice of me. Can't help it, grandma; I's e drefful wicked sometimes."

"If Mellicent isn't going out, send her to me."

"And you'll sweeten her misery by giving her our scheme to turn over in her mind. That's good of you. I go much more serenely now that I know that she will not be weaving the sacrificial robes. There! 81don't say anything more. I repent. I shall be covered with dust, and will probably sit in it before long." And Persis fled. She gave Mellicent her grandmother's message after finding out that golf was not included in her sister's plans for the afternoon, and then she went out to find Basil and Porter Phillips. Annis, waiting for her on the porch, joined them, and they all started for the golf links together.

"Some day," Persis said, as she switched a pebble with her stick, "some day I hope so to focus my mind that I shall be able to avoid all angles."

"What does that intense and occult observation mean?" asked Basil, who was walking beside her.

"It means that although angles may be necessary in the structure of human existence, nevertheless, there is no reason why one should be forever bruising oneself by running against them."

"Somewhat more lucid, but still veiled in semi-obscurity."

"In other words, you'd like to know what has been ruffling my feathers."

"That's it."

"The general contemplation of problems in general and my own life problem in particular. What's the reason, Basil, to come down to plain hard sense, what is the reason that one may live for years with certain persons and be considered amiable and sweet-tempered, and suddenly a change of base discovers them to be as full of angles as a polygon?"

"'A prophet is not without honor save in his own 82country and among his own kin,'" quoted Basil, sententiously.

"That's not it, altogether."

"No, but who is it says that two human beings are like globes which can touch only at one point, and while these remain in contact, all other points remain inert?"

"Very true, to a certain limit; but when even a sphere is covered with sharp protuberances, there is no telling where the opposite one may be touched."

"What in the world is all that metaphysical talk about?" asked Porter, turning around. "Come down out of the clouds, you two. Say, Perse, why didn't Mellicent come?"

"She had other fish to fry, she informed me. She was going to talk to grandma about a proposed trip to Narragansett."

"Narragansett!"

"Yes, my lord."

"Humph!" Porter gave his golf stick a thwack against an unoffending stone by the way.

"You do not approve, fair sir."

"I approve right enough, but I thought we were all going on that trip through Virginia. It would have been lots more fun than playing the society act at a fashionable watering-place."

"For you, maybe; but, as I heard a woman say once, 'Some's ideas differ.'"

"I believe, after all," Porter remarked, "I don't care to play golf today. Don't let us go to the links; suppose we go to the cricket club instead, 83and have a game of tennis. We can get rackets there."