s here about an hour ago; but when I found the cars were late I drove
over to tell Harold, as time with him was everything. How we did drive,
though, when we heard the whistle. Come, jump in,' she continued, as she
herself stepped into the victoria. 'Jump in, and I will take you home in
a jiffy. It won't hurt Hal to walk, although he is awful tired.'

'But I would rather walk; take Harold, if he is so tired,' Jerrie said,
in a tone she did not quite intend.

'Oh, Jerrie,' Harold exclaimed, in a low, pained voice, 'I am not tired,
let us both walk,' and going to Maude he said something to her which
Jerrie could not hear, except the words, 'Don't you think it better so?'

'Of course I do; it was stupid in me not to see it before,' was Maude's
reply, as she laid her hand on Harold's arm where it rested a moment,
while she said her good-byes.

And Jerrie saw the little, ungloved hand touching Harold so familiarly,
and thought how small, and white and thin it was, with the full, blue
veins showing so distinctly upon it, and then she looked more closely at
Maude herself, and saw with a pang how tired and sick she looked in
spite of the bright color in her cheeks which came and went so fast.
There was a pallor about her lips and about her nose, while her ears
were almost transparent, and her neck was so small that Jerrie felt she
could have clasped it with one hand.

'Maude,' she cried, pressing close to the young girl, as Harold stepped
aside, 'Maude, are you sick? You are so pale everywhere except your
cheeks, which are like roses.'

'No, no,' Maude answered quickly, as if she did not like the question.
'Not sick a bit, only a little tired. We have been at work real hard,
Hal and I; but he will tell you about it, and now good-bye again, for I
must go, I shall be round in the morning. Good-bye. Oh, Tom, I forgot!
We have company to dinner to-night--a Mr. and Mrs. Hart, who are friends
of Mrs. Atherton, and have just returned from Germany, bringing Fred's
sister, Marian, with them. She has been abroad at school for years, and
is very nice. I ought to have told Fred and Nina. How stupid in me! But
they will find their invitations when they get home. Now hop in, quick,
and don't tear my flounces. You are so awkward.'

'I suppose Hal never tears your flounces,' Tom said, as he took his seat
beside his sister, and gave Jerrie a look which sent the blood in great
waves to her face and neck, for it seemed to imply that he unde