eir arrangement had not
contemplated any incident which would lead to a breaking of their
contract, it was obvious that Martha could not expect him to ignore
calmly a violation of it. His own self-respect made this impossible. He
would have to protest, and by protesting, perhaps lose completely any
influence he might have over her.

The months that had passed since he first agreed to finance Martha's
venture into the realm of theatricals had been months of uneasiness.
Time and again he had resolved to visit her, talk with her, find out
what progress she was making; yet each time he feared he might inject
too personal an interest into these inquiries. That had been their
agreement: "Down with love and up with ambition." He had warned her of
the wayward influences of love at a time when the possibility of caring
for her himself had never entered his head. "I suppose," he had said to
himself a dozen times, "she'll fall in love with some actor and marry
him without even bothering to let me know." This idea first awakened the
possibility that he might keenly regret such an indiscretion on her
part. Then came the ardent desire to see her himself, advise her, and
protect her from the pitfalls of her profession. But he had dismissed
this as a subterfuge invented by himself as an excuse for seeing her.

"No," he had concluded. "I will stick by my bargain. I am making an
experiment in character development, and I will not let my personal
sentiment affect my judgment as a business man. I agreed to aid her
until she can become self-supporting, or admits that she is a failure.
So long as she keeps her part of the contract, I will keep mine."

Another and more powerful reason for absenting himself from all
neighborhoods where he might meet her, and especially from Mrs.
Anderson's boarding-house, was the fear that she might consider him in
the light of a benefactor to whom she was under obligations. This galled
him--to think that she might be outwardly cordial while secretly bored.
For Clayton was modest enough to believe that his unassuming airs and
reticent ways would not prove attractive to a high-spirited girl so
many years his junior.

"What a surprise," cried Martha, entering the parlor suddenly. She was
dressed for the street. In fact, had Clayton been a few minutes later,
he would have missed her altogether, for Aunt Jane had announced his
visit just in the nick of time.

"Hello," said Clayton, greeting her cordially. "Wh