Anna Alice Chapin

“ The quiet half light that yet gave no effect of dimness, the soft tones of gray and mauve and silver, the fire lazily burning on the hearth, the inscrutable Mona Lisa above the mantel, the heavy, exotic orchids lavishly massed in one corner of the room—all these things seemed to combine to muffle external, jarring things, and to create an atmosphere almost of suspended breath. ”

“ It is built and shaped to be used exclusively as a shrine, and when the one god has been broken or stolen from the altar, the woman will dig up all the other fractured and defaced gods and ikons of her youth and weep over them, recalling in what gracious fashion this one took to incense and marigolds, and how beautiful that one was before the testing fires scorched him. ”

“ His florid face had turned as white as ashes.
“I suppose—that's—what it is!” said Pippa. She was very tired. “A case of blackmail——”
Suddenly, to the man's surprise, she began to cry.
“Be good to her, Howard!” she whispered through her tears. “Be good to her, and be good to yourself! I—I'd rather die than have to use those horrible letters!” ”

“ Phil”—he hesitated, walked across to the window, and came quickly back—“Phil, you're such a good fellow that I'm going to say something to you that may make me sound like the worst cad and bounder you've ever known.”
“I don't believe that, Howard,” she returned, looking up at him frankly. “You have been, and doubtless still are, a number of bad things, but I never knew you to be either a cad or a bounder.”
“Thanks!” His flush deepened in surprised gratitude. “It's this way: Rosamond cares for me.”
“She would get over that,” said Pippa calmly. “Twenty can get over anything.” ”

“ Howard Lane Burroughs. Miss Eagan——
The paper dropped once more from Philippa's hand, and she sank back upon the pillow. For a long, a very long, time she lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to think, trying to see clearly, trying to decide justly. The noise from the street below did not reach her ears. She hardly noticed the telephone ringing in the next room until Lucille answered it, and came in with a trivial message about a luncheon.
“Yes, I'll be there, of course—— No; I can't come to-day!” Pippa pressed her hands against her temples and collected her thoughts rapidly. ”