us. And to give no sign
or word but of kindness; to do no action that was not considerate, was
the task which destiny had thrust upon his honor.

He did not ask himself if it were possible of accomplishment. He had
flung hesitancy away, to make room for the all-powerful "Must be."

He walked slowly back to his home. There was no need to run now;
nothing pursued him. Should he quicken his pace or drag himself ever
so slowly, it could henceforth make no difference. The burden from
which he had fled was now banded upon him and not to be loosed, unless
he fling himself with it into forgetfulness.

XII

Severing Old Ties.

Returning from the matinee, Belle and her friend Lou Dawson, before
entering their house, crossed over to Fanny's. Mrs. Worthington tried
the door and finding it fastened, rang the bell, then commenced to
beat a tattoo upon the pane with her knuckles; an ingenuous manner
which she had of announcing her identity. Fanny opened to them
herself, and the three walked into the parlor.

"I haven't seen you for a coon's age, Fanny," commenced Belle, "where
on earth have you been keeping yourself?"

"You saw me yesterday breakfast time, when you came to borrow the
wrapper pattern," returned Fanny, in serious resentment to her
friend's exaggeration.

"And much good the old wrapper pattern did me: a mile too small every
way, no matter how much I let out the seams. But see here--"

"Belle's the biggest idiot about her size: there's no convincing her
she's not a sylph."

"_Thank_ you, Mrs. Dawson."

"Well, it's a fact. Didn't you think Furgeson's scales were all wrong
the other day because you weighed a hundred and eighty pounds?"

"O that's the day I had that heavy rep on."

"Heavy nothing. We were coming over last night, Fanny, but we had
company," continued Mrs. Dawson.

"Who d'you have?" asked Fanny mechanically and glad of the respite.

"Bert Rodney and Mr. Grant. They're so anxious to meet you. I'd 'a
sent over for you, but Belle--"

"See here, Fanny, what the mischief was Dave Hosmer doing here to-day,
and going down town with you and all that sort o' thing?"

Fanny flushed uneasily. "Have you seen the evening paper?" she asked.

"How d'you want us to see the paper? we just come from the matinee."

"David came yesterday," Fanny said working nervously at the window
shade. "He'd wrote me a note the postman brought right after you left
with the pattern. When you saw us getting on the