r
them! Anyhow, she stopped me and said--all red and nervous--'You
mustn't come for the wash any more.'

"'Why not?' says I. 'Is the family complaining?'

"'No,' says she, 'but we owe you for two years.'

"'What makes you think that?' said I, astonished and pretty badly scared
for the minute.

"'I've kept account,' she said. And she was fiery red. 'I keep a list of
all we owe, so as to have it when we're able to pay.'"

"What a woman she is!" exclaimed Arthur. "I suppose she's putting by out
of the profits of that little millinery store of hers to pay off the
family debts. I hear she's doing well."

"A smashing business," replied Lorry, in a tone that made Arthur glance
quickly at him. "But, as I was saying, I being a young fool and
frightened out of my wits, said to her: 'You don't owe mother a cent,
Miss Estelle. It's all been settled--except a few weeks lately. I'm
collectin', and I ought to know.'

"I ain't much of a hand at lying, and she saw straight through me. I
guess what was going on in her head helped her, for she looked as if she
was about to faint. 'It's mighty little for me to do, to get to see you,'
I went on. 'It's my only chance. Your people would never let me in at the
front gate. And seeing you is the only thing I care about.' Then I set
down the washbasket and, being desperate, took courage and looked
straight at her. 'And,' said I, 'I've noticed that for the last year you
always make a point of being on hand to give me the wash.'"

Somehow a lump came in Arthur's throat just then. He gave his
Hercules-like friend a tremendous clap on the knee. "Good for you,
Lorry!" he cried. "_That_ was the talk!"

"It was," replied Lorry. "Well, she got red again, where she had been
white as a dogwood blossom, and she hung her head. 'You don't deny it, do
you?' said I. She didn't make any answer. 'It wasn't altogether to ask me
how I was getting on with my college course, was it, Miss Estelle?' And
she said 'No' so low that I had to guess at it."

Lorry suspended his story. He and Arthur sat looking at the moon.
Finally Arthur asked, rather huskily, "Is that the end, Lorry?"

Lorry's keen, indolent face lit up with an absent and tender smile. "That
was the end of the beginning," replied he.

Arthur thrilled and resisted a feminine instinct to put his arm round his
friend. "I don't know which of you is the luckier," he said.

Lorry laughed. "You're always envying me my good disposition," he went
on.