s not until
the Friday following her accident that she felt equal to seeing Leslie
Cairns. The nurse had informed her on Thursday that Miss Langly would be
able to see her for a few minutes on Friday afternoon. Leslie
accordingly cut her last afternoon recitation in order to call on
Katherine before any of her friends should arrive on the scene.

"Good afternoon," she saluted without enthusiasm, as the nurse admitted
her to the sick room. Her small dark eyes shrewdly appraised Katherine,
who was lying on her couch bed clad in a dainty delft blue silk kimono.

"Good afternoon, Miss Cairns," Katherine returned. "Please take the arm
chair. It is more comfortable than the others."

"Thank you. I can't stay long. I have been trying to see you for the
last week; ever since your accident, in fact. Glad to see you better. I
sent you some fruit and flowers. Tried to make you understand that I was
anxious about you." Leslie paused. Her small stock of politeness was
already threatening to desert her. She despised Katherine for her
poverty. Now she disliked her even more because she had injured her.

"I thank you for the fruit and flowers. I asked the nurse to thank you
for me when I received them. I have met with so many kindnesses since
I--since I was hurt." Katherine referred to the injury she had received
through Leslie's recklessness with some hesitancy.

"You understand, don't you, that I wasn't really to blame for your
accident?" The question was put to Katherine with brusque directness. "I
was driving a little faster than usual to escape the storm. I was well
within the speed limit. Remember that. I fail to understand why you
girls didn't hear my horn. It sounded clearly, even above the storm."

"I did not hear it." Katherine fixed her clear eyes squarely upon the
other girl. "I heard Jerry scream 'Look out!' and then the car struck
me."

"Hm! Well, all I can say is you girls should not have been strung across
the road as you were," was Leslie's bold criticism.

"We were walking only on the half of the road used by cars coming toward
us," was Katherine's quietly defensive rejoinder. "But it doesn't
matter, Miss Cairns. I do not intend to make any trouble for you. I hope
all excitement of the accident has died down before this."

"It will be dropped unless that crowd of girls you go with keep stirring
it up," retorted Leslie. "I wish you would ask them to let it drop.
Since you are willing to, why shouldn't they be?