d her money into a pocket,
mechanically started for the road to Pittsville.

Five minutes later she boarded the half-past twelve o'clock trolley,
coming in excited and exultant upon Sally who was singing quietly over
a solitary luncheon. The girls laughed and cried together.

"The funny thing is, I am as free as air!" Martie exclaimed, her cheeks
glowing from the tea and the sympathy and the warm room. "But I never
knew it! If Pa had gotten on that trolley, I think I would have fainted
with shock. But what could he do? I am absolutely FREE, Sally--with
twenty-one dollars and eighty-one cents!"

"I wish you had a husband----" mused Sally.

"I'd rather have a job," Martie said with a quick, bright flush
nevertheless. "But I think I know how to get one. Mrs. Cluett is going
to be playing steadily now, and after this engagement they're going to
try very hard to get booked in New York. She's got to have SOME ONE to
look out for the children."

"But Martie----" Sally said timidly, "you'd only be a sort of
servant----"

"Well, that's the only thing I know anything about," Martie answered
simply. "It might lead to something----"

"Then you and Wallace aren't----?" Sally faltered. "There's nothing
serious----?"

Martie could not control the colour that swept up to the white parting
of her hair, but her mouth showed new firmness as she answered gravely:

"Sally--I don't know. Of course, I like him--how could I help it? We're
awfully good chums; he's the best chum I ever had. But he never--well,
he never asked me. Sally"--Martie rested her elbows on the table, and
her chin on her hands--"Sally, would you marry him?"

"If I loved him I would," said Sally.

"Yes, but did you KNOW you loved Joe?" Martie asked. Sally was silent.

"Well--not so much--before--as after we were married," she said
hesitatingly, after a pause.

Martie suddenly sprang up.

"Well, I'm going to see Mrs. Cluett!"

"I'll go, too," said Sally, "and we'll stop at the express office and
tell Joe!"

Mrs. Cluett was alone with her children when the callers went in, and
even Martie's sensitive heart could have asked no warmer reception of
her plan.

The little actress kissed Sally, and kissed Martie more than once,
brimming over with interest and sympathy.

"Dearie, it ain't much of a start for you, but it is a start!" said
Mabel warmly over the head of the nursing baby. "And you'll get your
living and your railroad fares out of it, anyway! It'