But she saw it now with a more critical vision.  It was soft and satisfying and eminently desirable to have everything one wanted without the effort of striving for it, but a begging wheedling game on the part of these women.  They were, she told herself rather harshly, an incompetent, helpless lot, dependent one and all upon some man’s favor or affection, just as she herself had been all her life until the past few months.  Some man had to work and scheme to pay the bills.  She did not know why this line of thought should arise, neither did she so far forget herself as to voice these social heresies.  But it helped to reconcile her with her new-found independence, to put a less formidable aspect on the long, hard grind that lay ahead of her before she could revel in equal affluence gained by her own efforts.  All that they had she desired,—­homes, servants, clothes, social standing,—­but she did not want these things bestowed upon her as a favor by some man, the emoluments of sex.

She expected she would have to be on her guard with her brother, even to dissemble a little.  But she found him too deeply engrossed in what to him was the most momentous event of his career, impatiently awaiting the day, rather dreading the publicity of it.

“Why in Sam Hill can’t a man and a woman get married without all this fuss?” he complained once.  “Why should we make our private affairs a spectacle for the whole town?”

“Principally because mamma has her heart set on a spectacle,” Linda laughed.  “She’d hold up her hands in horror if she heard you.  Decorated bridal bower, high church dignitary, bridesmaids, orange blossoms, rice, and all.  Mamma likes to show off.  Besides, that’s the way it’s done in society. And the honeymoon.”

They both giggled, as at some mirthful secret.

“Shall we tell her?” Linda nodded toward Stella.

“Sure,” Benton said.  “I thought you had.”

“The happy couple will spend their honeymoon on a leisurely tour of the Southern and Eastern States, remaining for some weeks in Philadelphia, where the groom has wealthy and influential connections.  It’s all prepared for the pay-a-purs,” Linda whispered with exaggerated secrecy behind her hand.

Benton snorted.

“Can you beat that?” he appealed to Stella.

“And all the time,” Linda continued, “the happy couple, unknown to every one, will be spending their days in peace and quietness in their shanty at Halfway Point.  My, but mamma would rave if she knew.  Don’t give us away, Stella.  It seems so senseless to squander a lot of money gadding about on trains and living in hotels when we’d much rather be at home by ourselves.  My husband’s a poor young man, Stella.  ‘Pore but worthy.’  He has to make his fortune before we start in spending it.  I’m sick of all this spreading it on because dad has made a pile of money,” she broke out impatiently.  “Our living used to be simple enough when I was a kid.  I think I can relish a little simplicity again for a change.  Mamma’s been trying for four years to marry me off to her conception of an eligible man.  It didn’t matter a hang about his essential qualities so long as he had money and an assured social position.”