Clarice’s face was like a thunder cloud as she saw herself thwarted, but if she could not keep Paul from a long walk alone with Elithe in one way she would in another, and after a moment she said: “Of course I’ll go, but suppose we take a car. There’s one coming now.” Had he been alone with either of the girls, Paul would have preferred walking. As it was he did not care whether he walked or rode, and the three were soon put down on the avenue opposite Miss Hansford’s cottage. Elithe did not ask them in, but Paul unceremoniously seated himself upon the steps and began to talk of the fine view with the sunset colors on Lake Eau Claire and the moonlight on the sea beyond. Clarice remained standing, nor did Elithe ask her to sit down, knowing that she would refuse. There was a silent antagonism between the two which Paul felt and which made him uncomfortable in spite of his affected gayety. When she had stood as long as she could endure it Clarice said, persuasively: “Come, Paul, I’m very tired, and Miss Hansford does not want to be kept out here all night.” Then he arose, shook hands with Elithe and said to Clarice: “I’m ready. Come on.” CHAPTER XXI. NEWS FROM JACK. “Paul,” Clarice said, when they were down on the avenue, and she was leaning on his arm, “I’ve had a letter from Jack, and where do you think he is?” “Have no idea. He is likely to turn up anywhere,” Paul replied, and Clarice continued: “Well, you would never guess, and I may as well tell you. He is at Samona, of all places in the world.” “Samona? Where’s that?” Paul asked, not at once associating it with Elithe’s home in Montana. “Don’t pretend you don’t know that Samona is where that Hansford girl lives,” Clarice rejoined, irritably. It was very seldom that Paul showed any resentment at what she said or did. To-night, however, he was a good deal annoyed at her treatment of Elithe, and he asked her, “Why do you call her ‘that Hansford girl?’ Why not say Elithe?” “Well, Elithe, then, if it suits you better,” Clarice replied. “Her father, you know, lives in Samona,—preaches there, and in some unaccountable way Jack has stumbled upon the place, and says he likes it very much, and the Hansfords, too. Wants me to be polite to Elithe, because they have been kind to him. He can’t have seen _her_, as he has only been there two weeks, I judge from his letter. But that is long enough to hear from the Hansfords that we are going to be married, and he says that he is coming.” “Well,” Paul said, “suppose he does?” It did not matter to him personally whether Jack came or not, and he could not quite understand Clarice’s aversion to having him present at her bridal. It would be very annoying, of course, if he were intoxicated and noisy, but he did not believe he would be. He was naturally a gentleman. He could surely keep sober for one day, and he said so to Clarice.