le and lifted
Rosalie's antique flacon; and set it back slowly, as the girl turned her
face on the pillow and opened her eyes.

"Is that you, Kathleen?"

"Yes, dear."

For a few seconds she lay quite motionless, then, rising on one elbow,
she passed the backs of her fingers across her lids, laughed sleepily,
and straightened up, freeing her eyes from the confusion of her hair.

"I've had horrid dreams. I've been crying in my sleep. Come here," she
said, stretching out her arms, and Kathleen went slowly.

The girl pulled her head down, linking both arms around her neck:

"You darling, can you ever guess what miracle happened to me yesterday?"

"No.... What?"

"I promised to marry Duane Mallett!"

There was no reply. The girl clung to her excitedly, burying her face
against Kathleen's cheek, then released her with a laugh, and saw her
face--saw the sorrowful amazement in it, the pain.

"Kathleen!" she exclaimed, startled, "what is the matter?"

Mrs. Severn dropped down on the bed's edge, her hands loosely clasped.
Geraldine's brown eyes searched hers in hurt astonishment.

"Aren't you glad for me, Kathleen? What is it? Why do you--" And all at
once she divined, and the hot colour stained her from brow to throat.
Kathleen bent forward swiftly and caught her in her arms with a
smothered cry; but the girl freed herself and leaned back, breathing
fast.

"Duane knows about me," she said. "I told him."

"He knew before you told him, my darling."

Another wave of scarlet swept Geraldine's face.

"That is true.... He found out--last April.... But he and I are not
afraid. I promised him--" And her voice failed as the memory of the
night's indulgence flashed in her brain.

Kathleen began: "You promised me, too--" And her voice also failed.

There was a silence; the girl's eyes turned miserably toward the
dressing-table, closed with a slow, inward breath which ended like a
sob; and again she was in Kathleen's arms--struggled from them only to
drop her head on Kathleen's knees and lie, tense face hidden, both hands
clenched. The wave of grief and shame swept her and passed.

After a while she spoke in a hard little voice:

"It is foolish to say I cannot control myself.... I did not think what I
was doing last night--that was all. Duane knows my danger--tendency, I
mean. He isn't worried; he knows that I can take care of myself----"

"Don't marry him until _you_ know you can."

"But I am perfectly certain of