d Nadine,
with a curl of her lip. "I trust that you may find plenty of lovers in
the future, though I doubt it."

"I have plenty now," declared Dorothy, waltzing nimbly about the floor,
as only a bright, happy, thoughtless young girl can who is free from
care. "I couldn't count all who make eyes at me now, so what will it be
when I get as old as the rest of you girls?"--this a trifle maliciously,
for every one of them was at least twenty, and that seemed rather
_passee_ to this bit of femininity of sweet sixteen.

Some one noticed that the huge clock on the mantel wanted just three
minutes to one, so the fragments of luncheon were crammed back into
their baskets, and the girls, chatting and laughing, went back to their
work, for they had a very particular foreman. But one of their number,
Jessie Staples, hung back to have a word with Dorothy.

"I hope that you will not grow into a flirt," she said, slipping her arm
about Dorothy's waist and looking into the young girl's flushed face
with serious eyes, adding: "This brings me to the question that I
intended asking you this noon. Where did you meet that young car
conductor who walked up as far as your home with you last night? Do tell
me, little Dorothy."

"Were you spying upon me, you mean thing?" cried Dorothy Glenn, blushing
as fiery red as the crimson heart of a peony, and stamping angrily the
tiniest of little feet; and she flung her companion's arm from her as
though it had stung her.

"Can't you tell me?" pleaded Jessie, earnestly. "Remember, you have no
one to warn you. You are an orphan in this great, cold world, and--and
you are so young that you don't know life, and can not realize that
every young man who smiles into your eyes and says flattering things is
_not_ in love. When you have no relative to confide in, you ought to
have a girl friend older and wiser than yourself. Let me be that friend
to you, Dorothy."

As she listened, the momentary anger died out of the girl's face. She
couldn't keep angry with anybody very long, and quite before Jessie had
finished her sentence a pair of plump white arms were thrown round her
neck and Dorothy's soft, peachy pink cheek was nestling against her own,
while the sweet young voice whispered:

"Won't you breathe it, Jess, if I tell you the greatest secret in the
whole wide world? Promise on your word and honor that you won't and I'll
tell you, and it will fairly make you hold your breath. It's just like
those gr