I was nearly as happy as she was, for it had looked terribly
hopeless up till then, what with all the money they had put into
the syndicate and the way the bubble was gobbling us up.

"Oh, Nelly, I am so glad," I said. "I'll put in that forced
water circulation at once, and I'll make your and Harry's share
of it a wedding present!"

"Oh, I'm out of the syndicate," she said. "I guess we'd prefer
something for the flat."

"Out of the syndicate?" I cried.

"Yes," she returned brazenly. "Sold out!"

It took me a moment to pull myself together. I felt premonitions
running all over me. I didn't feel so enthusiastic about their
marriage as I had at first thought I was.

"Oh, Virgie, darling, you won't hate me?" she asked.

"Not till I hear more about it," I said.

She thought to make it up by squeezing my hands. But it wasn't
squeezing that I wanted, it was facts. I drew away a bit and
waited for them.

"Losing that front wheel was bad enough," she said, "especially
as I went over the dashboard in my dotted muslin and Harry has
limped ever since; but when the transmission broke it seemed as