And then, in order to put a stop to Fanny's detestable attempts "to make me look like a perfect fright," Ethel did start in and shop.

And as soon as she got well into it, what a fever it became! Sternly eyeing herself in the mirrors of shops, she studied and made mistakes by the score, and corrected and went on and on.

"I'll look right if kills me!" One night she learned what Fanny Carr had had in mind when she came "poking into our lives!" For Fanny was poor--she had long guessed that; and Fanny had a house on Long Island, and only by a hair's--breadth now did Ethel keep her from selling it to Joe as a surprise for his wife.
"Well, Fanny, what next ?" thought Ethel that night.

She had been awake for hours, perfectly still and motionless, not to disturb her husband.
"For you are not through yet, Mrs.Carr.So long as we're rich and you are poor and have no immediate husband, you're going to act like a ravening wolf--aren't you, my own precious.

You mean to break my hold on him by keeping him thinking of her, of her! Now what am I to do about it ?" She frowned.