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economic independence—the sharing of her life with a man she loved.

Throughout the whole of the day, though at the back of her mind she had still the memory of Waring’s letter locked up in her desk, her attention was concentrated upon the work in hand. Both she and Mrs. Hill were kept busily engaged supplying the wants of numerous customers, while Ruth Atkins, the third member of the establishment, sat in Ann’s room behind the shop stitching industriously.

The Autumn Steeplechase Meeting was te take place next day, and new frocks and hats were being busily selected. Rhoda Hemingway was in town, staying with her mother for the races, and Mrs. Ford telephoned to Ann inviting her to accompany them in the car.

“We have a spare seat. Rhoda’s driving, and Stephanie, of course, is coming. Jim prefers to spend the day on the golf course. I’m not much of a race-goer, but Stephanie won’t hear of my spending the day at home alone. We’ve got half a dozen ladies’ tickets, so you might as well make use of one of them.”

Ann thanked her, but declined. Vera had sent no answer to the letter she had written to her nearly three months previously, and still had made no further move to go on with the case. But as long as the action was pending, Ann had no desire to join in any social functions. And yet she could not help feeling a little pang of regret as she refused the invitation. It was to be Nigger’s day of triumph. She would have liked above all things to be on the course, to see him win. And Nigger’s owner would be there also. All the more reason for her to stay at home, she told her-