it might be, it would be better to tell him herself than to try, as she
had tried last night, to relate her story to some one else. And she must
share her secret. She could not stay another night in this house without
the comfort of self-revelation. Otherwise the shadows would drive her to
sickness and despair. Dick loved her, and love carried with it sympathy
and compassion. For the first time her heart warmed at the thought of
his protecting affection; and with her resolution firmly taken she
walked steadily, head erect, through the doorway out of her room.

It was a gay dinner-table. Mrs. Pickens, who had been constrained in her
manner toward Hertha at breakfast, dropped her reserve for the time
being and entered into Dick's raillery. Miss Wood was in good humor, and
Dick was bubbling over with entertaining stories. He was interesting,
too, in describing the country through which he had passed, and made
vivid to them the small town up-state with its shaded streets, its
growing shops, its dingy hotel and execrable service. The young
commercial traveler had become very discriminating in regard to rooms
and meals.

"Most of the waiters," he explained, "know only about ten words of
English nowadays. You're lucky if you strike one who knows twenty. Once
in a while I'd get a darky and you bet I was glad! Sambo's the boy for
me! Serves your meals all right and sense enough to laugh at your jokes.
We always got along fine."

He did not look at Hertha as he said this, but he hoped that she
received it in the spirit of good-will in which it was given. He was
friends to-night with all the world.

They lingered long over the meal, and when at length they rose, Dick
declaring that he could eat no more, the long twilight was almost over.

"Shall we sit on the stoop?" he asked, and Hertha nodded assent. Mrs.
Pickens went out with them, and for a few minutes the three remained
together, watching the people who came and went on the broad sidewalk,
saying little, feeling much. Then Hertha rose and Dick with her.

"I'm going to say good-night to Bob," she explained to the young man,
"and then don't you want to come down and we can take a walk?"

It was the first time, in all their acquaintance, that she had taken the
initiative in anything they did together, and Dick's happiness was so
great he could only awkwardly nod in assent as she moved away.

"I've been seeing 'em," he said as he watched the bright spot her white
dress ma