He gazed at her in amazement. "My dear Kitty," in playful humility, "even if your flattering estimate of me is true, I don't see why you should be so disgruntled about it." 

 Her April face broke into smiles, and yet she sighed. "Oh, Bobby, because, because I'm afraid the fairy princess is bespoke. Yes," nodding at his astonishment, "I have a fairy princess in mind, one in whose welfare I am deeply interested." 

 "Oh," comprehendingly, "one of your protégées, whom you are trying to marry off. I assure you once and for all, Kitty, that such will not do for me. I want the real thing in fairy princesses; under an enchantment, detained in [Pg 7]the home of a wicked ogre; all that, you know, and lovely and forlorn." 

[Pg 7]

 She looked at him oddly. "If you only knew how you confirm my impression." 

 "Of what?" 

 She paid no attention to him. "I wish I knew certainly. She won't tell until she gets ready, but it looks very much as if she were engaged to Wilfred Ames. You remember him, do you not?" 

 Hayden thought deeply a moment. "A big fellow? Very light hair, blue eyes?" 

 "Yes, yes," she nodded, "'the flanneled fool at the wicket, muddied oaf at the goal' type, you know. One of those lumbering, good‑looking babies of men that women like Marcia always attract. Every one thinks it's an awfully good thing, and I dare say I'd agree with them, if you hadn't happened along. But his mother! My patience, his mother! And she's behaving like a cat about the whole affair. Just as if Marcia's mother were not enough! Oh," in a [Pg 8]burst of impatience, "why do not things ever arrange themselves properly?" 

[Pg 8]

 He laughed, Kitty always made him laugh; but his curiosity was aroused sufficiently to ask: "Have I ever in my remote past met this paragon of a fairy princess?" 

 "No‑o, no, I don't believe you have. Her mother took her to Europe when she was quite young and she has lived over there most of her life." 

 "What is her name?" he asked idly. 

 "Marcia, Marcia Oldham." 

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