Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: v t , JAVAHEAD mass of overdrapery, knots of moss roses and green gauze ribbons; while a silver cord ending in a tassel fell forward among her curls. Lacy Saltonstone, almost as plainly dressed as Sidsall, was as usual sitting straighter than anyone else Laurel ever saw; she had a brown face with a finely curved nose and brown eyes, and her voice was cool and decided. " For me," she said, " he is the most fascinating person in Salem." Olive Wibird made a swift face of dissent. " He's too stiff and there is gray in his hair. I like my men more like sparkling hock. Dancing with him he holds you as if you were glass." " I don't seem to remember you and Mr. Brevard together," Lacy commented. " He hasn't asked me for centuries," the other admitted. " He did Sidsall, though, as we all remember; didn't he, love? " Sidsall's cheeks turned bright pink. Laurel dispassionately wished that her sister wouldn't make such a show of herself. It was too bad that Sidsall was so — so broad and well looking; she was not in the least pale or interesting, and had neither Lacy's Saltonstone's thin gracefulness nor Olive's popular manner. " It was very noble of him," Sidsall agreed. " But he was extremely engaged," Lacy assured her with her wide slow stare. " He told me that you were like apple blossoms." That might please Sidsall, thought Laurel, but she personally held apple blossoms to be a very common sort of flower. Evidently something of the kind had occurredto Olive, too, for she said: " Heaven only knows what men will admire. It's clear they don't like a prude. I intend to have a good time until I get married —" " But what if you love in vain? " Sidsall interrupted. " There isn't any need for that," Olive told her. " When I see a man I want I'm going to get him... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.