to let
you butt into this? I guess you've got enough to do to look out for your
own business."

Janet produced a pencil from her bag, and going to the table tore off a
piece of the paper in which had been wrapped the candy box.

"Give me the address," she insisted.

"Say, what are you going to do?"

"I want to know where you are, in case anything happens to you."

"Anything happens! What do you mean?" Janet's words had frightened Lise,
the withdrawal of Janet's opposition bewildered her. But above all, she
was cowed by the sudden change in Janet herself, by the attitude of
steely determination eloquent of an animus persons of Lise's type are
incapable of feeling, and which to them is therefore incomprehensible.
"Nothing's going to happen to me," she whined. "The place is all right
--he'd be scared to send me there if it wasn't. It costs something, too.
Say, you ain't going to tell 'em at home?" she cried with a fresh access
of alarm.

"If you do as I say, I won't tell anybody," Janet replied, in that odd,
impersonal tone her voice had acquired. "You must write me as soon--as
soon as it is over. Do you understand?"

"Honest to God I will," Lise assured her.

"And you mustn't come back to a house like this."

"Where'll I go?" Lise asked.

"I don't know. We'll find out when the time comes," said Janet,
significantly.

"You've seen him!" Lise exclaimed.

"No," said Janet, "and I don't want to see him unless I have to. Mr.
Tiernan has seen him. Mr. Tiernan is downstairs now, waiting for me."

"Johnny Tiernan! Is Johnny Tiernan downstairs?"

Janet wrote the address, and thrust the slip of paper in her bag.

"Good-bye, Lise," she said. "I'll come down again I'll come down whenever
you want me." Lise suddenly seized her and clung to her, sobbing. For a
while Janet submitted, and then, kissing her, gently detached herself.
She felt, indeed, pity for Lise, but something within her seemed to have
hardened--something that pity could not melt, possessing her and
thrusting heron to action. She knew not what action. So strong was this
thing that it overcame and drove off the evil spirits of that darkened
house as she descended the stairs to join Mr. Tiernan, who opened the
door for her to pass out. Once in the street, she breathed deeply of the
sunlit air. Nor did she observe Mr. Tiernan's glance of comprehension....
When they arrived at the North Station he said:--"You'll be wanting a
bite of dinner, Miss Janet,"