her femininity. The most important of them, rated by worldly rank rather than in the scale of her regard, was in the Rountree offices to-day. He was Lew Alban, the son of old Stanley Alban, of the Alban Appliance Company, down state, and he was by all odds the best customer of Rountree's. The Albans, indeed, had been associated with the Rountrees so long and so intimately that they 'could scarcely be called mere customers.
Mr. Stanley Alban was over eighty. He had put old Mr. Rountree (who now was dead) in business. The Rountree Company had originated with an order from Stanley Alban. In Stanley, Illinois, Stanley Alban and John Rountree together had founded and built the first Baptist church.
Their friendship and intimate business relations had survived the removal of the Rountrees, thirty years ago, from Stanley to Chicago; the friendship, and business relations, had survived old John Rountree, for the younger John had stepped, securely, into his father's place.
Twice a year, regularly, Mr. Rountree went down state and visited in the Alban home; he kept up membership in his father's church and club at Stanley; he sat in his father's chair at the town missionary board meetings. At least twice a year, until recently, old Mr. Alban had journeyed to Chicago and been a guest in the Rountree home.
Hardly like a guest, he was, Ellen knew; he was more like a member of the family. Certainly Lew felt himself one of the family when he was about the office. He was on far easier terms with Mr. Rountree than was Jay; he
