plied, looking at the ceiling to express
her fatigue. "Law. 'S all he tell me; 's all I know."

Adams frowned. "Law," he said. "Wasn't it maybe 'Lohr?'"

"Law," Gertrude repeated. "'S all he tell me; 's all I know."

"What's he look like?"

"He ain't much," she said. "'Bout you' age; got brustly white moustache,
nice eye-glasses."

"It's Charley Lohr!" Adams exclaimed. "I'll go see what he wants."

"But, Virgil," his wife remonstrated, "do finish your coffee; he might
stay all evening. Maybe he's come to call."

Adams laughed. "He isn't much of a caller, I expect. Don't worry: I'll
take him up to my room." And turning toward Russell, "Ah--if you'll just
excuse me," he said; and went out to his visitor.

When he had gone, Mrs. Adams finished her coffee, and, having glanced
intelligently from her guest to her daughter, she rose. "I think perhaps
I ought to go and shake hands with Mr. Lohr, myself," she said, adding
in explanation to Russell, as she reached the door, "He's an old friend
of my husband's and it's a very long time since he's been here."

Alice nodded and smiled to her brightly, but upon the closing of the
door, the smile vanished; all her liveliness disappeared; and with this
change of expression her complexion itself appeared to change, so that
her rouge became obvious, for she was pale beneath it. However, Russell
did not see the alteration, for he did not look at her; and it was but
a momentary lapse the vacation of a tired girl, who for ten seconds lets
herself look as she feels. Then she shot her vivacity back into place as
by some powerful spring.

"Penny for your thoughts!" she cried, and tossed one of the wilted
roses at him, across the table. "I'll bid more than a penny; I'll bid
tuppence--no, a poor little dead rose a rose for your thoughts, Mr.
Arthur Russell! What are they?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I haven't any."

"No, of course not," she said. "Who could have thoughts in weather like
this? Will you EVER forgive us?"

"What for?"

"Making you eat such a heavy dinner--I mean LOOK at such a heavy dinner,
because you certainly didn't do more than look at it--on such a night!
But the crime draws to a close, and you can begin to cheer up!" She
laughed gaily, and, rising, moved to the door. "Let's go in the other
room; your fearful duty is almost done, and you can run home as soon as
you want to. That's what you're dying to do."

"Not at all," he said in a voice so feeble that