kwardly.

"Don't seem very pleased to see me," he added.

"Oh, but I am, Wally; I am," she said, with an anxious eye on the door.

"Thou may'st have a holiday, Isabelle, to visit with thy father. We'd be
glad to have thee spend the night, Mr. Bryce."

"Just here for a few hours, thanks. Thought I'd look in on the kid. Very
kind of you, I'm sure."

Mrs. Benjamin left them.

"Wally, do me a favour," said Isabelle, breathlessly.

"So soon?" he laughed.

"Take me off in the motor for the day."

"But I want to see the school, and meet your pals, and get acquainted
with the Benjamins."

"Oh, Wally, it's just like any school, and I'm shut up here all the time.
I'm just dying for a day in the country," she urged. "_P-l-e-a-s-e_
Wally."

"All right, come on. You aren't taking me off for fear they'll give you
away, are you?"

"Give me away?"--anxiously.

"Mrs. Benjamin says you're a prize pupil, but they can't get away with
that, Isabelle; I know you."

"No, you don't," she laughed. "I'm all new."

She slipped her arm through his and urged him forth.

"Come on, Wally, be a dear."

So she managed to get him in the car and away from the house before the
school trooped in. She had no plan beyond that, but she knew that she
must never let Wally go back to that school. She looked at his little
wizened face, muffled up in his coat collar, and his little pinched
hands on the wheel. No; only over her dead body should the girls see
Wally!

She set herself to his entertainment, and got him into a good humour in
no time. He roared at her stories, her comments on the girls. He noted
her fine colour.

"You're getting handsome, Isabelle."

"Beauty is but skin deep. I rely on my line of talk," she replied, and
joined in his laughter.

"Look here, why did you railroad me out of that school so fast?"

"I thought it would be nicer to have you all to myself," she replied,
innocently.

"Isabelle, Isabelle, what are you up to?" her father demanded.

"Nothing, Wally--honest. I'm a reformed character."

She induced him to take her to lunch at The Gay Dog Inn, and they were
very merry over the meal.

"I quite like you, Isabelle," said Wally. "You used to embarrass me to
death."

"I've always rather liked you, Wally," she retorted, to their mutual
amusement.

"See here, I must be getting on, if I'm to make Boston for dinner," he
said, consulting his watch.

"You needn't take me clear up to the school. You may drop