"Mrs. Potter, you know she lives next door to Ethel, writes me that she does not believe the girl is happy--that this St. Ledger, or whatever his name is, that she is reported engaged to, is not the kind of a man for Ethel at all--and, that she hasn't seemed herself for a year--some unhappy love affair--the man was a scamp, or something--so this trip will be just what she needs. Charlie will be with her, of course, and we can invite that young Mr. Holbrooke; you have met him, that nice young man--the VanNesses' nephew. "We will go away up into the big woods where you men can hunt to your heart's delight; and we women will stay around the camp and do the cooking and smell the woods and chew spruce gum. Oh, Hubert, won't it be just _grand_?" Appleton caught something of his wife's enthusiasm. "It sure will, little girl! But what's _he_ for?" "What is who for?" "This Holbrooke person. Where does he come in on this?" "Why, for Ethel, of course! Goose! Don't you see that if Ethel is not happy--if she is not really in love with this St. Ledger--and she spends two or three weeks in the same camp with a nice young man like Mr. Holbrooke--well, there's no place like the woods for romance, dear; you see, I know. And he has money, too," she added. Appleton suddenly lifted his wife to her feet and began pacing up and down the room. "Money!" he exclaimed. "He never earned a cent in his life." "But he is the VanNess heir!" "Old VanNess made his money selling corsets and ribbons." "Why, dear, what difference does that make? I am sure the VanNesses are among----" "I don't care who they're among, or what they're among!" interrupted her husband. "We don't want any niece of ours marrying ribbons. Hold on a minute, let me think. By gad, I've got a scheme!" He continued to pace up and down the length of the room, puffing shortly upon his cigar and emitting emphatic grunts of satisfaction. "I've got it!" he exclaimed. "If you're bound to marry Ethel off we will give her the chance to marry a _man_. Go ahead and make up the party, but leave ribbons out of it. We will let Ethel rest up for a few days and then we will start--straight for the new camp. There is a _man_ there." "But," objected his wife, "you know nothing about him. You don't know even his name." "What difference does that make? I know a good man when I see one. I know enough about him to know that he is good enough for Ethel or any other woman. And, if he hasn't got a name now, by gad, he is making one--up there in the big country!" "But he has no money." "No money! How much did we have when we were married? Why, little girl, you just got through saying that the happiest days we ever spent were up there in the woods when money was so scarce that we knew the date on every dollar we owned--and every scratch and nick on them--and the dimes and pennies too." The little woman smiled. "That is true, Hubert, but somehow----"