There were other pictures; a funny antiquated kodak picture of herself held by her father and with her mother smiling at them. They looked so happy! It hadn’t been all tragedy. She picked up a ring which she knew her father had given her mother. She could remember that her mother had worn it when she was a child and that she had loved to twist it on her mother’s finger. It was a deep sapphire in a low odd setting of dull gold. Cecily slipped it on her own finger. “In memory of the happiness you gave my mother,” she said to the handsome, smiling picture of Allgate Moore. There was a knock on the closed door and Della entered forthwith. “Nearly time for lunch, Cecily. How are you coming on? Is there anything I can do to help you?” She spoke as if Cecily were packing a trunk. “No, thank you, Della.” “Can I see?” There was no proper reason for refusal, but it was hard to let her see. Hastily selecting those souvenirs of the first marriage of her mother, Cecily pushed the collection of other jewelry over to Della. Della gasped. “What a lot! Are those real pearls? And you get everything! Of course you’re awfully sad, Cecily, but you certainly are a lucky girl to get all these lovely things.” Cecily did not answer. “It’s funny your mother didn’t make a will. She was awfully nice to me always. I guess she was glad to have me take Walter in hand and get him out of any wild ways. Mrs. Allenby was saying the other day----” “Was saying something about my mother?” “Oh, I forgot you don’t like her very well. I guess she’s hardly your type. She’s so gay. But she’s awfully well liked and even if her family doesn’t amount to much she always admits it. I was so surprised the night you told everybody that her cousin was your cook. Ellen’s back with you, isn’t she? Fliss isn’t hiding it, anyway. She tells it in such a funny way.” Cecily could imagine that. She could guess how Fliss’s sharp tongue could make ridicule of Cecily out of the fact that Cecily had tried to ridicule her. “Walter and I were at her house the other night----” “Surely, Della, you aren’t going out yet; you’re in mourning!” “I can’t absolutely stop seeing every one, can I?” said Della petulantly. “Of course you have to remember that I was cheated out of a lot of things; and I was a bride and all and just beginning to be entertained for.” “Doesn’t father----” “He never says a word. No, I think he’s glad to see Walter and me having a little fun. I just told Walter that I felt that his first duty was to me.” She stopped and bridled. “Of course, it’s your own business, Cecily, but I think you’re making a mistake.” The lift of irony was in Cecily’s voice. “I am?” “Well, a man likes a good time and I should think Dick would get awfully tired sitting around so much. Fliss says that when she first knew him----” “I can’t see any point to this kind of talk,” said Cecily, rising. “Did you say that lunch was ready?”