ame. Sukey is a veritable
little Eve, and--"

"Billy Little, I am sorry to hear you place the blame on Sukey. I
suppose Dic tells you she was to blame."

"By Jove! I've made a nice mess of it," muttered Billy. "No, Dic blames
himself entirely, but I know whereof I speak. That girl is in love with
him, and has set this trap to steal him from you and get him for
herself. She has been trying for a long time to entrap him, and you are
helping her. Dic is a true, pure man, who has been enticed into error
and suffers for it. You had better die unmarried than to lose him."

"I hope to die unmarried, and I pray that I may die soon," returned Rita
with a deep, sad sigh.

"No, you'll not die unmarried. You will marry Williams," said Billy,
looking earnestly into her eyes.

"I shall not."

"If you wish to throw Dic over and marry Williams, you should openly
avow it, and not seize this misfortune of Dic's as an excuse."

"Oh, Billy Little, you don't think me capable of that, do you?" answered
Rita, reproachfully.

"Do you give me your word you will not marry Williams?" asked Billy,
eagerly.

"Yes, I give you my word I will not marry him, if--if I can help it,"
she answered, and poor Billy collapsed. He took his handkerchief from
his pocket to dry the perspiration on his face, although the room was
cold, and Rita drew forth her handkerchief to dry her tears.

"Dic loves you, Rita. He is one man out of ten thousand. He is honest,
true, and pure-minded. He has sinned, I know; but he has repented. One
sin doesn't make a sinner, and repentance is the market price of mercy.
I know a great deal of this world, my girl, and of its men and women,
and I tell you Dic is as fine a character as I know. I don't know a man
that is his equal. Don't let this one fault condemn him and yourself to
wretchedness."

"I shall not be wretched," she replied, the picture of woe, "for I
don't--don't care for him. I'm surprised, Billy Little, that I do not,
and I think less of myself. There must be something wrong about me. I
must be wicked when my--my love can turn so easily to indifference. But
I do not care for him. He is nothing to me any more. You may be sure I
speak the truth and--and although I am glad to have you here, I don't
want you to remain if you continue to speak of--of him."

The situation certainly was confusing, and Billy, in a revery, resorted
to Maxwelton's braes as a brain clarifier. Soon wild thoughts came to
his mind, and