ut it. I wouldn't have given up my
half-holidays for anybody if they hadn't been sick, no matter what
they paid me. There wasn't anything in it for me."

McQuiston raised his hand warningly.

"That will do, young lady. But when you get another place, remember
this: it is never your duty to entertain or to provide amusement for
your employer."

He gave Annie a look which she did not clearly understand, although
she pronounced him a nasty old man as she hustled on her hat and
jacket.

When Annie reached home she found Willy Steen sitting with her
mother and sister at the dining-room table. This was the first day
that Annie had gone to the office since Wanning's death, and her
family awaited her return with suspense.

"Hello yourself," Annie called as she came in and threw her handbag
into an empty armchair.

"You're off early, Annie," said her mother gravely. "Has the will
been read?"

"I guess so. Yes, I know it has. Miss Wilson got it out of the safe
for them. The son came in. He's a pill."

"Was nothing said to you, daughter?"

"Yes, a lot. Please give me some tea, mother." Annie felt that her
swagger was failing.

"Don't tantalize us, Ann," her sister broke in. "Didn't you get
anything?"

"I got the mit, all right. And some back talk from the old man that
I'm awful sore about."

Annie dashed away the tears and gulped her tea.

Gradually her mother and Willy drew the story from her. Willy
offered at once to go to the office building and take his stand
outside the door and never leave it until he had punched old Mr.
McQuiston's face. He rose as if to attend to it at once, but Mrs.
Wooley drew him to his chair again and patted his arm.

"It would only start talk and get the girl in trouble, Willy. When
it's lawyers, folks in our station is helpless. I certainly believed
that man when he sat here; you heard him yourself. Such a gentleman
as he looked."

Willy thumped his great fist, still in punching position, down on
his knee.

"Never you be fooled again, Mama Wooley. You'll never get anything
out of a rich guy that he ain't signed up in the courts for. Rich is
tight. There's no exceptions."

Annie shook her head.

"I didn't want anything out of him. He was a nice, kind man, and he
had his troubles, I guess. He wasn't tight."

"Still," said Mrs. Wooley sadly, "Mr. Wanning had no call to hold
out promises. I hate to be disappointed in a gentleman. You've had
confining work for some time, daugh