as no fainting, no crying. There was only the
pitiful whitening of a set little face, and the tense question:

"How much--was it?"

Carroll sighed in relief.

"Miss Raymond, you're a--a brick--to take it like that," he cried
brokenly. "I don't know another girl who-- It was--well, a hundred
dollars will cover it; but he's got to have it--to-morrow."

"I'll send it."

"But how--forgive me, Miss Raymond, but last night you were telling me
that--that--" He flushed, and came to a helpless pause.

"How can I get it?" she supplied wearily. "We've a little in the bank--a
very little laid by for a rainy day; but it will cover that. We never
think of touching it, of course, for--for ordinary things. But--_this_."
She shuddered, and Carroll saw her shabbily gloved hand clinch
spasmodically. "Mr. Carroll, how did he come to--do it?"

It was a short story, soon told--the usual story of a pleasure-loving,
thoughtless youth, tempted beyond his strength. Carroll softened it
where he could, and ended with:--

"I asked Bert to let me make it good, somehow, but he would n't, Miss
Raymond. He--he just would n't!"

"Of course he would n't," exclaimed the girl sharply. Then, in a softer
voice: "Thank you, just the same. But, don't you see? 'T would have
done no good. I'd have had to pay you. . . . No, no, don't say any
more, please," she begged, in answer to the quick words that leaped to
his lips. "You have been kind--very kind. Now, just one kindness more,
if you will," she hurried on. "Come tonight. I must leave you now--it's
the store, just around the corner. But to-night I 'll have the money.
It's in my name, and I can get it without mother's--knowing. You
understand? Without--mother's--_knowing_."

"I understand," he nodded gravely, as he wrung her hand and turned
chokingly away.

When Helen reached home that night she found the little flat dominated
once again by the big, breezy presence of Herbert's friend.

"I've been telling him more about Herbert," Mrs. Raymond began joyously,
as soon as Helen entered the room. "I've been telling him about his
letters to me, and the peppermints and the lace tie, you know, and how
_good_ Herbert is to me. We've had such a nice visit!"

"Have you? I'm so glad!" returned Helen, a little unsteadily; and only
the man knew the meaning of the quick look of relieved gratitude that
came to her face.

At the door some minutes later, Carroll found a small packet thr