“Well, I don’t know. I wonder sometimes what good it does them. I’ve always lived in a college town, you know, and been used to college men; been used to lots of fun, haven’t I, Walter? Well, as I was saying, I don’t know that finishing your course gets you any place especially. Sometimes those who don’t, get ahead the fastest.” They all refrained from comment. Walter had grown a little flushed. “Can I take Della upstairs? She’s tired, I know, mother.” “Isn’t he bossy?” from Della. “Yes, dear, take her up to your own room. It’s ready for you.” A little-boy, lonesome look came into Walter’s face for a moment. Then he turned to Della and took her out of the room. Mrs. Warner looked at her husband and then at Cecily. “Did you say I was to be a model for her?” asked Cecily, with her new grimness. “For her? Why, the girl scorns me.” “She’s certainly going to make Walter stand around,” said Mr. Warner, with a feeble attempt at jocularity. Then, at the sight of the tears in his wife’s eyes he was beside her in an instant. “She’s not so bad,” he declared. “Lots of energy and nerve in that small person.” Lots of energy and lots of nerve there were. In the succeeding weeks they all found out how much. Della, twirling on her finger the platinum and diamond symbol that she was a Warner, knew how to have a good time and how to get what she wanted. She was fond of Walter in her under-bred little way. Though she scolded at him, she was always willing to have him exhibit his affection in public, and in automobiles and theatres would curl into his arms in a way that was unceasingly embarrassing to the people with her. Cecily, who had planned on winning her confidence, soon found that confidence a thing to dread. Della’s easy, careless tongue ran away with itself on most occasions. She wanted to tell Cecily intimate things that Cecily could not bring herself to listen to. And when Cecily, trying to impart an ideal or a vision, half opened her mind to Della, she found her visions ignored or criticized. “Cute kids, aren’t they?” commented Della. “But whatever do you do with so many? It’s wonderful how you’ve kept your figure, though.” That ended that lesson. Dick was amused. He laughed above Cecily’s constant dismay. “It’s a damned shame Walter married that chicken. But then, if he’s satisfied! Did you see her try to vamp me?” And he was off in a gale of chuckles. Gradually, after a few weeks, they stopped trying to do things with Della. She had her little apartment with its expensive furnishings paid for by Mr. Warner and she and Walter kept an unceasing succession of exploiting maids and dined out at public places at least half the time. Cecily simply made the best of her. She was unceasingly busy at home. Ellen’s vacation had lengthened. She had written most contritely that she could not come back at once. “As soon as I can, but my cousin won’t have a nurse. We are trying to find one that will do her.”