The sight of Montgomery in its best clothes, showing its
delight in optimism, had only aroused his contempt. He had been annoyed
by Phil's manifestations of pleasure; she had laughed aloud once at a
story, before the rest of the audience caught the point, and he felt
that considerable patient labor would be required to smooth out Phil's
provincial crudenesses.

Phil's spirits soared. The world was, indeed, a good place, and full of
charity and kindness. Wayland Brown Bayless had said so; Mrs. John
Newman King had done much to prove it. She walked from the hall in one
of her moods of exaltation, her head high.

"I apologize, Phil; I had no idea the old fellow could be such a bore. I
heard him once when I was in college and thought he was the real
thing--and it was, to the sophomoric taste."

"Oh, he's a perfect dear! Don't you dare apologize! And his stories were
perfectly killing--all new to me."

"You deserve better things, Phil, than the entertainments this town
affords. You were destined for the wider world; I've always felt that
about you."

He had forced a slower pace than the quick step with which Phil had set
out. His mind was working busily. Phil was an exceedingly pretty and a
very intelligent girl, and it would be a good stroke on his part to
marry her. Amzi would undoubtedly do the generous thing by her. He had
made his boast to Fred--and why not? There was no surer way of staying
Kirkwood's hand than to present himself as the affianced husband of the
lawyer's daughter. Phil's mother did not matter, after all. Kirkwood
would probably be relieved to find that Phil had been rescued from a
woman he had every reason to hate.

"You never looked so well as you did to-night, Phil. I was proud of you.
And you won't mind my saying it, but it was fine of you to go with me
when--well, you know what I mean."

Phil knew what he meant. She said:--

"Fine, nothing. You were kind to ask me and I had a good time every
minute."

"I wasn't sure you'd go. Things have happened queerly--you know what I
mean."

Phil knew what he meant.

"Oh, don't be looking for queernesses; we've got to take things as they
come along. That's my way of doing; and I'm more than ever convinced
that optimism is the true doctrine."

In spite of herself her last words ended a little dolorously. He was
quick to seize advantage of this unfamiliar mood.

"I hope you know that any trouble that may come to you is my trouble,
too, Phil. Not