Impatiently he strove to remember the names of her friends and ask her about them, to show a keen lively interest in this giddy gaddy life she led.

And when that was rather a failure he tried his daughter next on books, books of the most modern kind.
Stoutly he lied and said he was reading a certain Russian novel of which he had heard Deborah speak.

But this valiant falsehood made no impression whatever, for Laura had never heard of the book.
"I get so little time for reading," she murmured.

And meanwhile she was thinking, "As soon as he finishes talking, poor dear, I'll break the news." Then Roger had an audacious thought.

He would take her to a play, by George! Mustering his courage he led up to it by speaking of a play Deborah had seen, a full-fledged modern drama all centered upon the right of a woman "to lead her own life." And as he outlined the story, he saw he had caught his daughter's attention.