For instance, she seldom said anything about her
home or relatives. She lived in Villa Park, a small town midway
between Westmoreland and Hollyhill. Her father was dead, and, when not
at school, she had lived with her mother; these two, so far as Marion
knew, constituting the entire family.
Marion had visited her home, and there found the mother and daughter
apparently in moderate circumstances. Naturally, she had wondered a
little that Mrs. Nash should be able to support her daughter at a
private school, even though that institution made a specialty of
teaching rich men's daughters how to be useful and economical, but
the reason why had never been explained to her. Helen got her
remittances from home regularly, and seemed to have no particular
cause to worry about finances. She had spent parts of two vacations at
the Stanlock home and there conducted herself as if quite naturally
able to fit in with luxurious surroundings and large accommodations.
Only a few days before the Christmas holidays, something had occurred
that emphasized Helen's secretive peculiarity to such an extent that
Marion was considerably provoked and just a little mystified.
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