s, from whence cometh my help." That
had been the verse which she had read from her little Bible before
leaving her room in the early morning and she was grappling it close
to her heart, for she had known it would be a hard day.

Ellen was watching her silently. Almost she thought she had made an
impression. Perhaps this was the time to repeat Herbert's threat.

"Herbert feels," she began, "that if you refuse his offer now he can't
promise to keep it open. He can't be responsible for you if you take
this step. He said he wanted you to understand thoroughly."

Julia Cloud turned and walked with swift step to the little parlor
where lay the paper she and Mr. Luddington had just signed, and a copy
of which he had taken with him. She returned to her astonished sister
with the paper in her hand.

"Perhaps it would be just as well for you to read this," she said with
dignity, and put the paper into Ellen's hands, going back to her
clearing of the table.

There was silence in the dining-room while Ellen read, Julia moving on
quiet feet about the table, putting things to rights. She had finished
her part of the argument. She was resolutely putting out of her mind
the things her sister had just said, and refusing altogether to think
of Herbert. She knew in her heart just how Herbert had looked when he
had said those things, even to the snarl at the corner of his nose.
She knew, too, that Ellen had probably not reported the message even
so disagreeably as the original, and she knew that it would be better
to forget.

"Well," said Ellen, rising after a long perusal, laying the paper on
the table, "that sounds all very well in writing. The thing is to see
how it comes out. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and you
needn't tell me that any man in his senses will pay all that salary
merely for a 'chaperon,' as he calls it. If he does, he's a fool;
that's all I've got to say. But I suppose nothing short of getting
caught in a trap will make you see it; so I better save my breath. I'm
sure I hope you won't go to the poorhouse through your stubbornness.
I've done all I could to keep you from it, and it's pretty hard to
have my only sister leave me--so soo-oo-on after mother's--death."

"Well, Ellen," said Julia Cloud, looking at her speculatively, "I'm
sure I never dreamed you cared about having me away from here. You've
never shown much interest in being with me. But I'm sorry if you feel
it that way, and I'm sure I'll