in lodges and other societies. And if
any of the fellers renege tonight on this, I'll--I'll--Well, I'll show
'em somethin'!" finished Marty, very red in the face and threatening as
he dived down the basement steps.

"Oh, well," thought Janice, encouraged after all. "Nelson has some
loyal friends."

She came to the store on the side street without further incident. She
looked across timidly at Nelson's windows. A lamp burned dimly there,
so she knew he was at home.

Indeed, where would he go--to whom turn in his trouble? Aside from an
old maiden aunt who had lent him enough of her savings to enable him to
finish his college course, Nelson had no relatives alive. He had no
close friend, either young or old, but herself, Janice knew.

"Oh, if daddy were only home from Mexico!" was her unspoken thought, as
she lifted the latch of the store door.

There were no customers at this hour; but it was Hopewell Drugg's
custom to keep the store open until nine o'clock every evening, and
Saturday night until a much later hour. Every neighborhood store must
do this to keep trade.

"I'm so glad to see you, Janice," 'Rill proclaimed, without coming from
behind the counter. "You'll stay?"

"Surely. Don't you see my bag?" returned Janice gaily. "Is Mr. Drugg
going to be away all night?"

"He--he could not be sure. It's another dance," 'Rill said, rather
apologetically. "He feels he must play when he can. Every five
dollars counts, you know, and Hopewell is sure that Lottie will have to
go back to the school."

"Where is the dance?" asked Janice gravely. "Down at the Inn?"

"Yes," replied the wife, quite as seriously, and dropping her gaze.

"Oh! I hear my Janice! I hear my Janice Day!" cried Lottie's sweet,
shrill voice from the rear apartment and she came running out into the
store to meet the visitor.

"Have a care! have a care, dear!" warned 'Rill. "Look where you run."

Janice, seeing more clearly from where she stood in front of the
counter, was aware that the child ran toward her with her hands
outstretched, and with her eyes tightly closed--just as she used to do
before her eyes were treated and she had been to the famous Boston
physician.

"Oh, Lottie dear!" she exclaimed, taking the little one into her arms.
"You will run into something. You will hurt yourself. Why don't you
look where you are going?"

"I _do_ look," Lottie responded pouting. Then she wriggled all her ten
fingers before Ja