me near getting his neck broken for it. He is getting even
with her now."

As the girl glanced up at him, his face was full of suppressed feeling.
A pang shot through her.

Just then the entertainment broke up and the guests began to leave. Mrs.
Wentworth beckoned to Lois. Wickersham was still with her.

"I will not trust myself to go within speaking distance of him now,"
said Keith; "so I will say good-by, here." He made his adieus somewhat
hurriedly, and moved off as Mrs. Wentworth approached.

Wickersham, who, so long as Keith remained with Miss Huntington, had
kept aloof, and was about to say good night to Mrs. Wentworth, had, on
seeing Keith turn away, followed Mrs. Wentworth.

Every one was still chatting of the episode of the young virago.

"Well, what did you think of your friend's friend?" asked Wickersham of
Lois.

"Of whom?"

"Of your friend Mr. Keith's young lady. She is an old flame of his," he
said, turning to Mrs. Wentworth and speaking in an undertone, just loud
enough for Lois to hear. "They have run her out of New Leeds, and I
think he is trying to force her on the people here. He has cheek enough
to do anything; but I think to-night will about settle him."

"I do not know very much about such things; but I think she dances very
well," said Lois, with heightened color, moved to defend the girl under
an instinct of opposition to Wickersham.

"So your friend thinks, or thought some time ago," said Wickersham. "My
dear girl, she can't dance at all. She is simply a disreputable young
woman, who has been run out of her own town, as she ought to be run out
of this, as an impostor, if nothing else." He turned to Mrs. Wentworth:
"A man who brought such a woman to a place like this ought to be kicked
out of town."

"If you are speaking of Mr. Keith, I don't believe that of him," said
Lois, coldly.

Wickersham looked at her for a moment. A curious light was in his eyes
as he said:

"I am not referring to any one. I am simply generalizing." He shrugged
his shoulders and turned away.

As Mrs. Wentworth and Lois entered their carriage, a gentleman was
helping some one into a hack just behind Mrs. Wentworth's carriage. The
light fell on them at the moment that Lois stepped forward, and she
recognized Mr. Keith and the dancer, Mile. Terpsichore. He was handing
her in with all the deference that he would have shown the highest lady
in the land.

Lois Huntington drove home in a maze. Life appeared t