bad," he said at last. "But if she doesn't want you,
of course there is only one thing for you to do."

"I have been faithful to her for a year," said the rejected lover. "I
never before was attentive to any lady, no matter how charming, for
that length of time, and she needn't have treated me that way."

The subject was the most interesting one in the world to Roderick, and
he could not resist encouraging the young man to go on.

And poor Afternoon Tea Willie, unaccustomed to a sympathetic hearing,
poured out all his long heartache.

"I am telling you this in strict confidence you know, Roderick," he
said. "It is such a relief to tell some one and it seems right I
should tell you the end of this sad romance, for you helped me and were
kind to me at its very beginning." He paused for a moment, to reflect
sadly on his disappointed hopes.

"You may be sure your confidence will never be betrayed," said
Roderick, and murmuring his gratitude the young man went on.

"It was Miss Annabel Armstrong who put her against me from the first, I
feel sure, though I must never bear a grudge against a lady. But you
know, Roderick (I know you will never betray a confidence), Miss
Annabel hates me. I proposed to her once, shortly after I came to
Algonquin. It was just a mad infatuation on my part, not love at all.
I did not know then what real love was. But Miss Annabel--well, she is
a lady--but I, I really couldn't tell you what she said to me when I
offered her all a man could, my heart and my hand and all my property.
It was awful! I really sometimes wake up in the night yet and think
about it. And she never forgave me. And I don't know why." He paused
and drew a deep breath at the remembrance.

"And I know she poisoned Miss Murray's mind against me--but I shan't
hold a grudge against a lady. Now, Miss Murray herself was so gentle
and kind when she refused me--what? I--I didn't mean any harm." For
his sympathetic listener had turned upon him.

"How dared you do such a thing?" Roderick cried indignantly.

"I just couldn't help it," wailed Alfred. "You couldn't yourself now,
Roderick;" and Roderick was forced to confess inwardly that likely he
couldn't.

"Well, never mind, go on," he said, all unabashed that he was taking
advantage of the poor young man merely to be able to hear something
about her.

"I just couldn't help it. But I only asked her twice and the first
time she refused so nicely, I thought perh