did not even see her smiles. Every one else did; and I will
wager anything you like she has written love-notes to him--real
love-notes. He would, of course, be too honorable to tell. He's not the
sort of man who would kiss and tell--he is the sort women trust with
their favors--but I'll wager I'm right about Sue Davidson." She was
right, though Dic's modesty had not permitted him to see Miss D.'s notes
in the light Miss Tousy saw them.

"He is not the man," continued Miss Tousy, "to blame a girl for a fault
of that sort, even in his own mind, and he would not explain at a
woman's expense to save his life. With a man of his sort, the girl is to
blame nine times out of ten. I wouldn't give a fippenny bit for a man no
other girl wanted. There is a large class of women you don't know yet,
Rita. You are too young. The world has a batch of mawkish theories about
them, but there are also a few very cold facts kept in the dark,--lodge
secrets among the sex. Dic is modest, and modesty in an attractive man
is dangerous--the most dangerous thing in the world, Rita. Deliver me
from a shy, attractive man, unless he cares a great deal for me. Shyness
in a man is apt to make a girl bold."

"It did not make me bold," said Rita, with a touch of fire.

"Not in the least?" asked Miss Tousy, leaning over the girl's lap,
looking up into her face and laughing. "Now come, Rita, confess; you're
as modest as a girl has any good reason to be, but tell me, didn't
you--didn't you do your part? Now confess."

"Well, I may have been a little bold, I admit, a very little--just
at--you know, just at one time. I _had_ to be a little--just a
little--you see--you know, outspoken, or--you know what I mean. He might
not have--oh, you understand how such things happen."

The hands in the lap were growing very interesting during these remarks,
and the tear-stained cheeks were very hot and red.

"Yes, yes, dear," said Miss Tousy, leaning forward and kissing the hot
cheeks, "yes, yes, sweet one. I know one just _has_ to help them a bit;
but that is not boldness, that is charity."

"Since I think about it, perhaps I was," murmured Rita. "I know I have
often turned hot all over because of several things I did; but I cared
so much for him. I was so young and ignorant. That was over two years
ago. I cared so much for him and was all bewildered. Nothing seemed
real to me during several months of that time. Part of the time it
seemed I was in a nightmare, and