rming of you, Maidie,"
she said, gathering up her silk skirts as she prepared to step down into
the pond before her. "The compliment makes up for the blame. But how it
snows!"

"It doesn't matter. We all have gaiters on," returned Maidie Williams,
undisturbed.

"Fares, please!" said the conductor stolidly.

Frank Armstrong thrust his gloved hand deep into his pocket with angry
vehemence. "There's your money," he said, "and be quick about the
change, will you? We've lost time enough!"

The man counted out the change with stiff, red fingers, closed his lips
firmly as if to keep back an obvious rejoinder, rang up the six fares
with careful accuracy, and gave the signal to go ahead. The car went on
into the drifting storm.

Armstrong laughed shortly as he rapidly counted the bits of silver lying
in his open palm. He turned instinctively, but two or three cars were
already between him and the one he was looking for.

"The fellow must be an imbecile," he said, rejoining the group on the
crossing. "He's given me back a dollar and twenty cents, and I handed
him a dollar bill."

"Oh, can't you stop him?" cried Maidie Williams, with a backward step
into the wet street.

The Harvard junior, who was carrying her umbrella, protested: "What's
the use. Miss Williams? He'll make it up before he gets to Scollay
Square, you may be sure. Those chaps don't lose anything. Why, the
other day, I gave one a quarter and he went off as cool as you please.
'Where's my change?' said I. 'You gave me a nickel,' said he. And
there wasn't anybody to swear that I didn't except myself, and I didn't
count."

"But that doesn't make any difference," insisted the girl warmly.
"Because one conductor was dishonest, we needn't be. I beg your pardon,
Frank, but it does seem to me just stealing."

"Oh, come along!" said her cousin, with an easy laugh. "I guess the West
End Corporation won't go without their dinners to-morrow. Here, Maidie,
here's the ill-gotten fifty cents. _I_ think you ought to treat us
all after the concert; still, I won't urge you. I wash my hands of all
responsibility. But I do wish you hadn't such an unpleasant conscience."

Maidie flushed under the sting of his cousinly rudeness, but she went on
quietly with the rest. It was evident that any attempt to overtake the
car was out of the question.

"Did you notice his number, Frank?" she asked, suddenly.

"No, I never thought of it" said Frank, stopping short. "However, I
pr