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not a woman I could ever associate with, so I haven’t any means of knowing....”
    The Colonel gave his all-effacing laugh. “Oh, well—if you haven’t any means of knowing, we’ll fix that up all right. But I’ve got business reasons for wanting you to make friends with Mrs. Closson first; we’ll investigate her history afterward.”
    Make friends with Mrs. Closson! Mrs. St. George looked at her husband with dismay. He wanted her to do the thing that would most humiliate her; and it was so important to him that he had probably spent his last dollar on this diamond bribe. Mrs. St. George was not unused to such situations; she knew that a gentleman’s financial situation might at any moment necessitate compromises and concessions. All the ladies of her acquaintance were inured to them: up one day, down the next, as the secret gods of Wall Street decreed. She measured her husband’s present need by the cost of the probably unpaid-for jewel, and her heart grew like water.
    â€œBut, Colonel—”
    â€œWell, what’s wrong with the Clossons, anyhow? I’ve done business with Closson off and on for some years now, and I don’t know a squarer fellow. He’s just put me on to a big thing, and if you’re going to wreck the whole business by turning up your nose at his wife...”
    Mrs. St. George gathered strength to reply: “But, Colonel, the talk is that they’re not even married....”
    Her husband jumped up and stood before her with flushed face and irritated eyes. “If you think I’m going to let my making a big rake-off depend on whether the Clossons had a parson to tie the knot, or only the town-clerk ...”
    â€œI’ve got the girls to think of,” his wife faltered.
    â€œIt’s the girls I’m thinking of too. D’you suppose I’d sweat and slave down town the way I do if it wasn’t for the girls?”
    â€œBut I’ve got to think of the girls they go with, if they’re to marry nice young men.”
    â€œThe nice young men’ll show up in larger numbers if I can put this deal through. And what’s the matter with the Closson girl? She’s as pretty as a picture.”
    Mrs. St. George marvelled once more at the obtuseness of the most brilliant men. Wasn’t that one of the very reasons for not encouraging the Closson girl?
    â€œShe powders her face, and smokes cigarettes....”
    â€œWell, don’t our girls and the two Elmsworths do as much? I’ll swear I caught a wiff of smoke when Nan kissed me just now.”
    Mrs. St. George grew pale with horror. “If you’ll say that of your daughters you’ll say anything!” she protested.
    There was a knock at the door, and without waiting for it to be answered Virginia flew into her father’s arms. “Oh, Father, how sweet of you! Nan gave me the locket. It’s too lovely; with my monogram on it—and in diamonds!”
    She lifted her radiant lips, and he bent to them with a smile. “What’s that new scent you’re using, Miss St. George? Or have you been stealing one of your papa’s lozenges?” He sniffed and then held her at arm’s length, watching her quick flush of alarm, and the way in which her deeply fringed eyes pleaded with his.
    â€œSee here, Jinny. Your mother says she don’t want you to go with the Closson girl because she smokes. But I tell her I’ll answer for it that you and Nan would never follow such a bad example—eh?”
    Their eyes and their laugh met. Mrs. St. George turned from the sight with a sense of helplessness. “If he’s going to let them smoke now...”
    â€œI don’t think your mother’s fair to the Closson girl, and I’ve told her so. I want she should be friends with Mrs. Closson. I want her to begin right off. Oh, here’s Nan,” he added, as the door opened again. “Come along, Nan; I want you