with his tongue that
people do when they want to offer sympathy, and find the matter hard to
put into words.

A seller of toy balloons on the corner with a lot of noisy youngsters
around him; the ka-lash, ka-lam of a mechanical piano further down the
block; and young Mrs. Vandeman's staccato tones saying,

"I tell Bron that the only thing Worth's friends can do is to go on
exactly as if nothing had happened. Don't you think so, Mr. Boyne?"

I agreed mutely.

"Well, I wish you'd say so to Barbie Wallace," her voice sharpened.
"She's certainly acting as though she believed the worst."

"Now, Ina," Vandeman remonstrated. And I asked uncomfortably,

"What's Barbie done? Where is she?"

"Up at Mrs. Capehart's. In her room. Doesn't come out at all. Isn't
going to the ball to-night. Skeet said she refused to speak to Mr.
Cummings."

"Is that all Skeet said? Vandeman, you've told your wife that Cummings
swore to the complaint?"

"Yes, but--er--there's no animus. The executor of Gilbert's estate--With
all the talk going around--If Worth's proved innocent, he might in the
end be glad of Cummings' action."

"Oh, might he?" Skeet Thornhill had hurried out from the drugstore, a
package of medicine in her hand. Her eyes looked as though she'd been
crying; they flashed a hostile glance over the new brother-in-law,
excellently groomed, the big flower favor on his coat, the tall,
beautiful sister, all frilly white and flower festival fashion.

"_If_ Worth's proved innocent!" she flung at them. "Bronse Vandeman,
you've got a word too many in when you say that."

"Just a tongue-slip, Skeeter," Vandeman apologized. "I hope the boy'll
come through all right--same as you do."

"You don't do anything about it the same as I do!" Skeet came back. "I'd
be ashamed to 'hope' for a friend to be cleared of a charge like that.
If I couldn't _know_ he was clear--clear all the time--I'd try to forget
about it."

"See here, Skeet," Ina obviously restrained herself, "that's what we're
all trying to do for Worth: forget about it--make nothing of it--act
exactly as if it'd never happened. You ought to come on out to the ball
with the other girls. You're just staying away because Barbara Wallace
is."

"I'm not. Some damn fool went and told mother about Worth being
arrested, and made her a lot worse. She's almost crazy. I'd be afraid to
leave her alone with old Jane. You get me and this medicine up home--or
shall I go around to Capehart's