he meant to learn was not to
show his emotions too easily, to hide his
feelings whenever he could, so that he
might learn to take without apparent
flinching the hard knocks that life was
sure to send. He had been preparing
himself for the unkindnesses. Now at
Betty's words he felt a lump forming in
his throat and had a terrified moment of
believing that he was about to cry like a
girl. For could it be possible that any
human being could so forgive one's sins
as almost to forget them? Yet here was
Betty Ashton asking him to stay in her
home to protect her mother and herself
when his only other meeting had been his
effort to rob her.

Anthony set his teeth. "I can't live in
so grand a house as this. I couldn't afford
it," he replied huskily.

It was on the tip of Betty's tongue to
protest that she had never dreamed of
Anthony's paying anything. For Betty
Ashton, whatever the degree of her poverty,
could never fail in generosity, since
generosity is a matter not of the pocketbook
but of the spirit. However, all of a sudden
she appreciated that the young man had
quite as much right to his self-respect as
she had to hers.

"Even the little will be a help to mother
and me," she returned more humbly than
any one else had ever before heard her speak.

"But perhaps I could be useful. Maybe
you haven't so many servants as you once
had----"

Anthony stopped, for Betty's expression
had changed so completely. Of course
she had already repented of her offer.

"We have no servants and you could
help a great deal," she answered. And
then without any pretense of concealing
them, she let two tears slide down her
face. "It is only that I had forgotten
for the moment that we are not going to
be able to stay in our house much longer.
We can't afford to keep it for ourselves
and I haven't been a success with having
boarders. Still it may be some time before
we can rent or sell it, and if you will stay
here until then----"

Betty winced, for her visitor had this
time clasped her hand until the pressure
of its hard surface hurt.

"You know it would be the greatest
thing that ever happened for me to be
allowed to stay here a week," he added.

And Betty laughed. "Then stay."

As she opened the front door another
visitor stood waiting on the outside. He
was almost as unexpected as Anthony
Graham. For it was Herr Crippen, the
German music professor and Esther's father.

"What on earth could he w