her hand.

"Now, listen," he said. "There's really nothing to be gained by
your leaving me at present. Where did you say you were going?"

"To Cleveland," she replied.

"Well, how did you expect to get along?"

"I thought I'd take papa, if he'd come with me--he's alone
now--and get something to do, maybe."

"Well, what can you do, Jennie, different from what you ever have
done? You wouldn't expect to be a lady's maid again, would you? Or
clerk in a store?"

"I thought I might get some place as a housekeeper," she suggested.
She had been counting up her possibilities, and this was the most
promising idea that had occurred to her.

"No, no," he grumbled, shaking his head. "There's nothing to that.
There's nothing in this whole move of yours except a notion. Why, you
won't be any better off morally than you are right now. You can't undo
the past. It doesn't make any difference, anyhow. I can't marry you
now. I might in the future, but I can't tell anything about that, and
I don't want to promise anything. You're not going to leave me though
with my consent, and if you were going I wouldn't have you dropping
back into any such thing as you're contemplating. I'll make some
provision for you. You don't really want to leave me, do you,
Jennie?"

Against Lester's strong personality and vigorous protest Jennie's
own conclusions and decisions went to pieces. Just the pressure of his
hand was enough to upset her. Now she began to cry.

"Don't cry, Jennie," he said. "This thing may work out better than
you think. Let it rest for a while. Take off your things. You're not
going to leave me any more, are you?"

"No-o-o!" she sobbed.

He took her in his lap. "Let things rest as they are," he went on.
"It's a curious world. Things can't be adjusted in a minute. They may
work out. I'm putting up with some things myself that I ordinarily
wouldn't stand for."

He finally saw her restored to comparative calmness, smiling sadly
through her tears.

"Now you put those things away," he said genially, pointing to the
trunks. "Besides, I want you to promise me one thing."

"What's that?" asked Jennie.

"No more concealment of anything, do you hear? No more thinking
things out for yourself, and acting without my knowing anything about
it. If you have anything on your mind, I want you to come out with it.
I'm not going to eat you! Talk to me about whatever is troubling you.
I'll help you solve it, or, if I can't, at least ther