a cry of "I think Mr. Hoskins is too _bad_!"
she threw it into Mrs. Elmore's lap, and, catching her handkerchief to
her eyes, she broke into tears and went out of the room. The note
read:--

DEAR MISS LILY,--Your kind interest in me gives me courage to say
something that will very likely make me hateful to you forevermore.
But I have got to say it, and you have got to know it; and it's all
the worse for me if you have never suspected it. I want to give my
whole life to you, wherever and however you will have it. With you
by my side, I feel as if I could really do something that you would
not be ashamed of in sculpture, and I believe that I could make you
happy. I suppose I believe this because I love you very dearly, and
I know the chances are that you will not think this is reason
enough. But I would take one chance in a million, and be only too
glad of it. I hope it will not worry you to read this: as I said
before, I had to tell you. Perhaps it won't be altogether a
surprise. I might go on, but I suppose that until I hear from you I
had better give you as little of my eloquence as possible.

CLAY HOSKINS.

"Well, upon my word," said Elmore, to whom his wife had transferred the
letter, "this is very indelicate of Hoskins! I must say, I expected
something better of him." He looked at the note with a face of disgust.

"I don't know why you had a right to expect anything better of him, as
you call it," retorted his wife. "It's perfectly natural."

"Natural!" cried Elmore. "To put this upon us at the last moment, when
he knows how much trouble I've----"

Lily re-entered the room as precipitately as she had left it, and saved
him from betraying himself as to the extent of his confidences to
Hoskins. "Professor Elmore," she said, bending her reddened eyes upon
him, "I want you to answer this letter for me; and I don't want you to
write as you--I mean, don't make it so cutting--so--so--Why, I _like_
Mr. Hoskins! He's been so _kind_! And if you said anything to wound his
feelings--"

"I shall not do that, you may be sure; because, for one reason, I shall
say nothing at all to him," replied Elmore.

"You won't write to him?" she gasped.

"No."

"Why, what shall I do-o-o-o?" demanded Lily, prolonging the syllable in
a burst of grief and astonishment.

"I don't know," answered Elmore.