yant, merry self came back to her. "If I can't be a man," said she
to herself, "I'm the next thing to one, if there ever was one," and then
was amazed at her own impulse to peer up into his grave, soldierly face
and aghast to find herself drawing closer to his side. In the suddenness
and alarm of this revelation she nearly jumped beyond arm's length, and
he felt constrained to retake her hand and draw it farther through his
arm.

"You will find it easier if you will let me bear a little of the weight
to-night," said he, gravely, "and that is why I have made it my business
to intrude upon your time and attention. Miss Wallen, will you kindly
tell me what claim your brother has upon you?"

"He _is_ my brother and out of work," she answered, simply.

"Can't he get work?"

"He says he can't."

"What can he do?"

"He writes well, and he had a clerkship, but Mart was--unsteady, and he
lost it. Then he got a place in the freight-yards, but there was a
strike, and he went out. They wouldn't take him back then because he was
so foolish in his talk; and they can't take him now, for hundreds of
better men, steadier men, old employees, have been laid off. Ever since
the World's Fair business has been falling away."

"And you have had not only that house and your mother to care for, but
an able-bodied brother?"

Jenny dropped her head. Able-bodied brother, indeed!--with wife, babies,
debts, duns, and all! She had borne the weight of the whole
establishment upon her fragile shoulders; but that wasn't a thing to
speak of to him,--to anybody. Her silence touched him.

"Do you mean that out of your little salary you have paid that
house-rent and all the expenses and your mother's and his too?"

No answer.

"I wish you would tell me," he said, in such grave, courteous tones that
they went to her heart. "I beg you not to think me intrusive. I have
never heard of such a case before. Why, Miss Wallen, I'm appalled when I
see how thoughtless I have been. You simply cannot afford the time to
work for me at the price you fixed."

"It pays better than mending Mart's clothes, etc., at home," said she,
whimsically; "very much better than anything I can get to do up town."

"Good heavens! cannot your mother mend Mart's clothes? Can't he mend
them himself? My--my--poor little friend, I had no idea matters were as
bad as this!"

He had no idea even now how bad matters were, nor did she care to edify
him. "Why, Mr. Forrest," said sh