be welcomed. Get down Jock, you've had your turn."

His turn! A fierce hate rose in Billy's heart; but the stranger closed
the door behind him; Aunt Sally and the minister were saying kind things
to him, and informing him that the angel who had admitted him was Mrs.
Dale, the Fairy of Christmas, and a great admirer of little boys.

Little boys! Were they bent on insulting him?

Jock descended with that laugh of his that always disturbed Billy's
preconceived ideas. Then Billy was facing _Her_ as she bent to meet him
halfway.

The glad smile passed slowly from Constance Drew's face. The others,
below, were talking and forgetting the two upon the ladder.

"Why--Billy--have you--been sick?"

"No, ma'am."

"Did they let you come home for Christmas?"

"No, ma'am. I jest cum."

Constance looked long at him, and at last the laugh was gone even from
her dear eyes.

"Billy," she said softly, laying her hands on his shoulders, "you've
been keeping your word to me, about swearing, and--and all the rest?"

"Yes'm."

"It's been hard, too, dear, I know; but it has made you into
something--better." And then with a shining look on her face she bent
and kissed him.

The heat rushed all over Billy's body, following a cold perspiration.
His mouth twitched, and a maddening feeling of tears rose to his
smarting eyes.

"I'm--going--over--to--Hillcrest school!" He whispered feebly, "I'm
going--to get--learnin', an' things."

"Oh! Billy!"

"Yes'm."

"Oh! my dear Billy."

But such moments in life are brief. They are only permitted as
propellers for all the other plain moments which are the common lot.
Billy and Constance came down from the heights morally, spiritually and
physically and joined the commonplace things below.

There was corn to pop, and candy to make. There were boxes to unpack,
and goodies to eat; so was it any wonder that Joyce and her poor affairs
should be relegated to a place outside this Eden?

Then, too, Jock complicated matters. He was shameless in his mirth and
jokes. Even the stranger-lady with her wonderful aloofness could not
daunt him, but Billy fiercely resented his attentions to the girl for
whom he, Billy, had forsaken all else.

To leave the field to Jock was beyond the strength of mere man, so they
stayed it out together, and left the bungalow in company just as the
clock struck twelve.

It was then that the events of the past forty-eight hours began most to
tell upon Billy. His exh