"It will make it hard for Mr. O'Valley," Beatrice continued, blandly. "Of course I have realized what an unusual man my husband is--his phenomenal rise and all that; and papa has always said he never met any one who was so keen as Steve. I have always tried to be diplomatic in whatever I said to Mr. O'Valley about his business; I never encourage his discussing it at home since it is not fair to ask him to drag it into his playtime. So I can't talk over actual details with you. But I know it will be hard for him and he will have quite a time getting readjusted. He says this Miss Coulson is a nice girl but temperamentally a Jersey cow." Beatrice smiled at this; she had viewed Miss Coulson immediately upon the news concerning Mary's resignation, and had felt more than satisfied. Even Beatrice realized that Miss Coulson was a nice pink-and-white thing who undoubtedly had a cedar chest half filled with hope treasures and would at the first opportunity exchange her desk for a kitchen cabinet and be happy ever after. When Beatrice tried discussing the matter with Steve he responded so listlessly and seemed so apathetic about either Miss Coulson or Mary that Beatrice became vastly interested in fall projects of her own, telling Aunt Belle that her theory was correct: It was easier to be disappointed in one's husband than in one's friends, and that Steve was the sort who was never going to be concerned about his wife's disappointment; in fact, he would never realize it had occurred. The night Mary left the office for good and all, leaving clean and empty desk room for Miss Coulson and the little tea appointments as a token of good will, Luke met her at the corner and they walked home together. "Are you sorry?" Luke asked, curiously. He had been too busy in technical high school to be office boy for some time past. "No; only you grow accustomed to things. You remember how mother felt about the old house." Somehow the thing was harder to discuss with Luke as a questioner than with any one else. "I guess they'll miss you a lot." "Everyone's place can be filled, we must never forget that. And I think the change is wise. The new firm seems agreeable." "Did Mr. O'Valley give you anything?" Mary flushed. It had been Luke who received the armful of flowers sent anonymously. "The firm gave me the wonderful desk set; you saw it before it was sent to be monogrammed." "Yes, but I mean Mr. O'Valley himself." Luke was quite manly and threatening as he strode along. "Something for a keepsake because you've worked so hard for him."