he began, going straight to the point like a business
man, "I am informed that you are regularly married. It might be possible
to have such a marriage as you have chosen to make set aside on the
ground that you are a minor--still a ward of an American court--and
misrepresented your age to the consular officer."

Adelle opened her gray eyes in consternation. Were they, after all,
thinking of taking Archie from her? But she was reassured by the trust
officer's next words.

"Your guardians, however, will in all likelihood not take any such
steps--I shall not recommend it. Although you yet lack eighteen months
of being legally of age, and of course ought not to have married without
our consent, nevertheless you are of an age when many young women assume
the responsibilities of marriage. The facts being what they are,"--he
paused to look around disgustedly at the evidences of the picnicking
_menage_,--"I see no use in our interfering now in this unfortunate
affair."

Adelle's pale face brightened. He was a good old sort, she thought, and
wasn't going to make trouble, after all,--merely lecture them a bit, and
she composed her face properly to receive his scolding. It came, but it
was not very bad, at least Adelle did not feel its sting.

"It is also needless for me to pain you," he began, "by telling you what
I--what every mature person--must think of your rash step. Its
consequences upon your own future life will probably manifest themselves
only too soon. For a young girl like you, carefully brought up under the
best educational influences, and still in the charge of
a--er--companion,--" Adelle smiled demurely at Mr. Smith's difficulty in
finding the right word to describe Pussy Comstock,--"to deceive the kind
watchfulness, the confidence reposed in you, and carry on clandestine
relations"--What's that? thought Adelle--"with the first young fellow
who presents himself, indicates a serious lack on your part of something
that every woman should have to--er--to cope with life successfully," he
concluded, letting her down at the end softly.

This long sentence, by the way, was an interesting composite of several
"forms" that Mr. Smith used frequently on different occasions. It did
not impress Adelle as it should. She felt, as a matter of fact, that in
deceiving Pussy, she had merely pitted her feeble will and intelligence
against a much stronger one of an experienced woman, who was none too
scrupulous in her own methods.