It was a burning shame in me to spoil this one so; I'd like to beat you for it, Lulu Raymond, and I'm glad he didn't let you escape." Violet and her mother were passing the night together, and lying side by side talked to each other in loving confidence of such things as lay nearest their hearts.

Naturally Vi's thoughts were full of the husband from whom she had just parted--for how long ?--it might be months or years.
"Mamma," she said, "the more I am with him and study his character, the more I honor and trust and love him.

It is the one trial of my otherwise exceptionally happy life, that we must pass so much of our time apart, and that he has such a child as Lulu to mar his enjoyment of--" "Oh, dear daughter," interrupted Elsie, "do not allow yourself to feel otherwise than very kindly toward your husband's child; Lulu has some very noble traits, and I trust you will try to think of them rather than of her faults, serious as they may seem to you." "Yes, mamma, there are some things about her that are very lovable, and I really have a strong affection for her, even aside from the fact that she is his child; yet when she behaves in a way that distresses him I can hardly help wishing that she belonged to some one else.
"You surely must have noticed how badly she behaved for two or three days.

He never spoke to me about it, tried not to let me see that it interfered with his enjoyment (for he knew that that would spoil mine), but for all that I knew his heart was often heavy over her misconduct.
"Yet she certainly does love her father.

How she clung to him after she had heard that he must leave us so soon, with a remorseful affection, it seemed to me." "Yes, and though she shed but few tears in parting from him, I could see that she was almost heart-broken.