u've told me he said, I KNOW it's that way. Didn't he
say he wanted to come again?"

"N-no," Alice said, uncertainly. "But I think he will. At least I begin
to think so now. He----" She stopped.

"From all you tell me, he seems to be a very desirable young man," Mrs.
Adams said, primly.

Her daughter was silent for several moments; then new tears gathered
upon her downcast lashes. "He's just--dear!" she faltered.

Mrs. Adams nodded. "He's told you he isn't engaged, hasn't he?"

"No. But I know he isn't. Maybe when he first came here he was near it,
but I know he's not."

"I guess Mildred Palmer would LIKE him to be, all right!" Mrs. Adams
was frank enough to say, rather triumphantly; and Alice, with a lowered
head, murmured:

"Anybody--would."

The words were all but inaudible.

"Don't you worry," her mother said, and patted her on the shoulder.
"Everything will come out all right; don't you fear, Alice. Can't you
see that beside any other girl in town you're just a perfect QUEEN? Do
you think any young man that wasn't prejudiced, or something, would need
more than just one look to----"

But Alice moved away from the caressing hand. "Never mind, mama. I
wonder he looks at me at all. And if he does again, after seeing my
brother with those horrible people----"

"Now, now!" Mrs. Adams interrupted, expostulating mournfully. "I'm sure
Walter's a GOOD boy----"

"You are?" Alice cried, with a sudden vigour. "You ARE?"

"I'm sure he's GOOD, yes--and if he isn't, it's not his fault. It's
mine."

"What nonsense!"

"No, it's true," Mrs. Adams lamented. "I tried to bring him up to be
good, God knows; and when he was little he was the best boy I ever saw.
When he came from Sunday-school he'd always run to me and we'd go over
the lesson together; and he let me come in his room at night to hear his
prayers almost until he was sixteen. Most boys won't do that with
their mothers--not nearly that long. I tried so hard to bring him up
right--but if anything's gone wrong it's my fault."

"How could it be? You've just said----"

"It's because I didn't make your father this--this new step earlier.
Then Walter might have had all the advantages that other----"

"Oh, mama, PLEASE!" Alice begged her. "Let's don't go over all that
again. Isn't it more important to think what's to be done about him? Is
he going to be allowed to go on disgracing us as he does?"

Mrs. Adams sighed profoundly. "I don't know what to do," she