in shiveringly and the frightened face of the
girl with the baby in her arms again seemed close to me. Why was I
so halting, so afraid to speak? Usually I reached decisions quickly,
but I couldn't get rid of the girl's eyes. They seemed appealing for
protection. Until I knew more about her I must say nothing. Mrs.
Mundy must go to see her and then--

"I know I shouldn't bother you with all this." Selwyn's voice
recalled me and the face in the fire vanished. "But there is no one
else I can talk to. I should as soon go to a patient in a nerve
sanitarium as to Mildred. As a sister Mildred is not a success.
She'd first have hysterics and tell me I was brutal to poor Harrie,
and then declare that to marry a million dollars was the chance of a
lifetime for him. One of the ten thousand things I can't understand
about women is their defense of men, their acceptance of
his--shortcomings, and their disregard of the woman who must pay the
price of the latter. Mildred would probably not give Miss Swink a
thought."

"Harrie's sister and his mamma-in-law-to-be will doubtless find each
other congenial. They believe in sweet ignorance and blind
acceptance for their sex. But what do you want me to do, Selwyn?
What is it I can do?"

"I don't know." Hand on the back of the sofa, he looked down at me.
"When things go wrong I always come to you. When they go right you
are not nice to me. To-day I had a letter from Harrie. He's coming
back next week. His fiancee and her mother are coming with him. The
engagement is not to be announced just yet, however, and he asks me
to keep it on the quiet."

"And you've told me."

"Told you!" Selwyn's voice was querulous. "Don't I tell you
everything? Mrs. Swink has friends here, strivers like herself--the
only kind of people you won't have anything to do with. But I'm
going to ask you to call. Perhaps you'll be able--"

"She won't want to know me. I'll be no use to her. I can't help her
in any way, and people like that are too keen to waste time on people
like me. I don't give parties."

"But Kitty does. I don't know how you'll go about it, but you'll
find a way to--to make the girl understand she mustn't marry Harrie,
or certainly not for some time. I feel sorry for the child, but--"

"And the other girl--the little cashier-girl? What about her?"

For a moment Selwyn did not seem to understand. "Oh, that girl! I
don't think there'll be any trouble from her.