year or so. His uncle was growing old and Dudley was the only Drake in sight to take up his burdens.
About Carmelita and their home life, Dudley had moments of uneasiness, though he was very anxious not to allow his general mood of optimism to be ruffled. But a gorgeous red rose does not flourish well in a bird-cage, that was sure.
There were times of unusual frankness with himself when Dudley admitted that Carmelita was perhaps not quite so alluring out of the silken environment in which he had first met her. She was the sort of woman who thrived upon gayety, crowds, color, excitement, sumptuous surroundings. She was gay and colorful and sumptuous herself—or nothing. To see her, in a cheap stamped gingham dress, bending over a menial household task, was incongruous and a little pathetic. Her beauty was not meant for such things. It had been because of this rather than the fact that their improving pecuniary status warranted it that Dudley had spent the extra income on Laura and installed her in the kitchen and the small box-like extra bedroom. Laura was a Negress and fat and a bit careless with grease and china. But her price was not prohibitively high and she took the heavier burdens from Carmelita's lovely shoulders and
