herto shown him by the maidens of his native town, and by
the few Boston women who had been compelled to "endure" his society. If
he had had more experience he would have merely thought Miss Pierce a
girl with nice eyes, figure and manner. But as a single glass of wine is
dangerous to the teetotaller, so this episode had an over-balancing
influence on Peter, entirely out of proportion to its true value. Before
the week was over he was seriously in love, and though his natural
impassiveness and his entire lack of knowledge how to convey his
feelings to Miss Pierce, prevented her from a suspicion of the fact, the
more experienced father and mother were not so blind.

"Really, Charles," said Mrs. Pierce, in the privacy of their own room,
"I think it ought to be stopped."

"Exactly, my dear," replied her other half, with an apparent yielding to
her views that amazed and rather frightened Mrs. Pierce, till he
continued: "Beyond question _it_ should be stopped, since you say so.
_It_ is neuter, and as neutral things are highly objectionable, stop
_it_ by all means."

"I mean Mr. Stirling--" began Mrs. Pierce.

"Yes?" interrupted Mr. Pierce, in an encouraging, inquiring tone. "Peter
is certainly neuter. I think one might say negative, without gross
exaggeration. Still, I should hardly stop him. He finds enough
difficulty in getting out an occasional remark without putting a stopper
in him. Perhaps, though, I mistake your meaning, and you want Peter
merely to stop here a little longer."

"I mean, dear," replied Mrs. Pierce, with something like a tear in her
voice, for she was sadly wanting in a sense of humor, and her husband's
jokes always half frightened her, and invariably made her feel inferior
to him, "I mean his spending so much time with Helen. I'm afraid he'll
fall in love with her."

"My dear," said Mr. Pierce, "you really should be a professional
mind-reader. Your suggestion comes as an awful revelation to me. Just
supposing he should--aye--just supposing he has, fallen in love with
Helen!"

"I really think he has," said Mrs. Pierce, "though he is so different
from most men, that I am not sure."

"Then by all means we must stop him. By the way, how does one stop a
man's falling in love?" asked Mr. Pierce.

"Charles!" said Mrs. Pierce.

This remark of Mrs. Pierce's generally meant a resort to a handkerchief,
and Mr. Pierce did not care for any increase of atmospheric humidity
just then. He therefore conclu