n instantly rose and went swiftly to her. Forgetful of caste,
decorum, convention, everything but the boundless love which she felt
for all mankind, she put her arms about the worldly woman's neck and
kissed her.

For a moment the Beaubien sat in speechless surprise. It was the only
manifestation of selfless love that had ever come into her sordid
experience. Was it possible that this was spontaneous? that it was an
act of real sympathy, and not a clever ruse to win her from behind the
mask of affection? Her own kisses, she knew, were bestowed only for
favors. Alas! they drew not many now, although time was when a single
one might win a brooch or a string of pearls.

The girl herself quickly met the woman's groping thought. "I'm in the
world to show what love will do," she murmured; "and I love you." Had
she not thus solved every problem from earliest childhood?

The Beaubien melted. Not even a heart of stone could withstand the
solvent power of such love. Her head dropped upon her breast, and she
wept.

"Don't cry," said Carmen, tenderly caressing the bepowdered cheek.
"Why, we are all God's children; we all have one another; you have me,
and I have you; and God means us all to be happy."

The Beaubien looked up, wondering. Her variegated life included no
such tender experience as this. She had long since ceased to shed
aught but tears of anger. But now--

She clutched the girl to her and kissed her eagerly; then gently
motioned her back to her chair. "Don't mind it," she smiled, with
swimming eyes, and a shade of embarrassment. "I don't know of anything
that would help me as much as a good cry. If I could have had a
daughter like you, I should--but never mind now." She tried to laugh,
as she wiped her eyes.

Then an idea seemed to flash through her jaded brain, and she became
suddenly animated. "Why--listen," she said; "don't you want to learn
the pipe-organ? Will you come here and take lessons? I will pay for
them; I will engage the best teacher in New York; and you shall take
two or three a week, and use the big organ out in the hall. Will
you?"

Carmen's heart gave a great leap. "Oh!" she exclaimed, her eyes
dancing. "But I must ask Mrs. Reed, you know."

"I'll do it myself," returned the woman with growing enthusiasm.
"William," she directed, when the butler responded to her summons,
"get Mrs. Hawley-Crowles on the wire at once. But who is coming, I
wonder?" glancing through the window at an automobile