him, please, he'd
never get over it."

"I'm glad you think it ridiculous. In view of the chances you are
likely to have this winter, you'd be a fool to think of him. I hope
you have some ambition, Beth."

The girl had turned away again and was carefully tucking a magazine
into the folds of her cloak. Her long eyelashes drooped--that old
subject of her ambition was still forbidden ground.

"Yes, I have a burning ambition at this very minute to go and see Jean
and John," she said lightly, and whipping her cloak about her slim
figure she waved her hand in a gay farewell and danced away out of the
room.

The lady by the fire sighed. "Was there ever such a monkey?" she said
to herself, and then she smiled. And as the girl ran down the stairs,
she also sighed and said to herself: "I wonder how much longer I can
bear this life. Pshaw, what does it matter anyway?" And then she
laughed.

The short autumn day had closed and lights twinkled along the street
and blazed on the busy thoroughfare--violet electric stars half-hidden
high in the trees and golden gas lamps nearer the earth. The glow of
one shone on the girl as she mounted the steps of No. 15 with a
graceful little run. It showed her tall and willowy, lit up her sweet
face, and the gray, star-like eyes that looked out from beneath heavy
masses of nut-brown hair, and was reflected from them with a gleam as
of bronze.

She opened the door, as one familiar with the place, and hurried up the
steps of the stairs.

"I'm prowling round as usual, Mrs. Dalley," she called to the landlady
who was passing through the lower hall.

The woman's tired face brightened. She liked this Miss Gordon and was
always glad when she dropped in to see her brother and sister. She was
ever willing to listen to complaints concerning maids and medical
students.

"Dear, dear, it must be nice to be you, Miss Gordon," she sighed,
"nothing in the wide world to do. I've been clear distracted this
afternoon with that new maid. I dismissed her at last. She would not
even carry the plates to the table properly, and as for the way she
washed the dishes! Really, Miss Gordon, I tried to do my duty by her.
I scolded and explained till I was hoarse. But I believe the hussy was
just stubborn. I felt sorry to dismiss her, as it was Mr. MacAllister
who asked me to give her a trial. Don't say anything to him about it,
please, Miss Gordon. I hate to tell him I had to send her away."

Mi