t? I cannot imagine! But I know I shall not allow him to continue
unhappy if I can prevent it! I will speak to him about it."

And then in the candor, innocence and humility of her soul, she followed
him to the window where he stood in a moody silence, and said
pleasantly:

"Traverse, we do not seem to be so good friends as formerly. If I have
done anything to offend you, I know that you will believe me when I say
that it was quite unintentional on my part and that I am very sorry for
it, and hope you will forget it."

"You--you--Miss Day! You say anything to displease anybody! Any one
become displeased with you!" exclaimed the youth in a tremulous
enthusiasm that shook his voice and suffused his cheeks.

"Then if you are not displeased, Traverse, what is the matter, and why
do you call me Miss Day instead of Clara?"

"Miss Day, because it is right that I should. You are a young lady--the
only daughter and heiress of Doctor Day of Willow Heights, while I
am----"

"His friend," said Clara.

"The son of his housekeeper," said Traverse, walking away.

Clara looked after him in dismay for a moment, and then sat down and
bent thoughtfully over her needlework.

From that day Traverse grew more deeply in love and more reserved than
before. How could it be otherwise, domesticated as he was, with this
lovely girl and becoming daily more sensible of her beauty, goodness and
intelligence? Yet he struggled against his inevitable attachment as a
great treachery. Meantime he made rapid progress in his medical studies.
It was while affairs were in this state that one morning the doctor
entered the study holding the morning paper in his hand. Seating himself
in his leathern armchair at the table, he said:

"I see, my dear Traverse, that a full course of lectures is to be
commenced at the medical college in Washington, and I think that you are
sufficiently far advanced in your studies to attend them with great
advantage--what say you?"

"Oh, sir!" said Traverse, upon whom the proposition had burst quite
unexpectedly, "I should indeed be delighted to go if that were
possible."

"There is no 'if' about it, my boy; if you wish to go, you shall do so.
I have made up my mind to give you a professional education, and shall
not stop half way."

"Oh, sir, the obligation--the overwhelming obligation you lay upon me!"

"Nonsense, Traverse! it is only a capital investment of funds! If I were
a usurer I could not put out money to