Perhaps the glittering material possessed her blood, even
more than of habit. Perhaps it was only her instinct warning her to take
her stand now with her father, where was safety and her ordered course.
Or at least it was hardly a pure impulse of generosity that made her
open the plump little gold bag at her side, and produce a bill with a
yellow back.

"I'm very sorry you've been ill," she said, in her pretty modulated
voice. "As you probably feel that you got your illness in the Works, I
should like you to take this. Please consider it as coming from my
father--and buy yourself something--"

All the blood in the little creature's body seemed to rush headlong to
her face. She shrank away as from something more painful than a blow.
But all that she said was:

"_Oh!... Ma'am!_"

It was Miss Heth's turn to show a red flag in her cheek.

"You don't want it?"

"I--why ma'am,--I _couldn't_ ..."

"As you like, of course."

She dropped the spurned gift back into her bag, with studied
leisureliness, and rose at once, though she had made no purchase.
Standing, she made a slight inclination of her prettily-set head. And
then Miss Heth was walking away through the crowded aisle with a
somewhat proud bearing and a very silken swish.

And Kern Garland swung round on her seat at Gentlemen's Furnishings,
staring wide-eyed after her, her finger at her lip ...

No fairy coming-true here, indeed, of that gorgeous fever-dream in which
Miss Heth with lovely courtesy informed Miss Garland that she had been a
lady all the time. But consider the Dream-Maker's difficulties with such
far-flown fancies as this: difficulties the more perplexing in a world
where men's opinions differ, and some do say that she in the finest
skirt is not always the finest lady ...

Yet times change, and we with them. It is a beautiful thing to believe
in fairies. In the valley, men have met angels. Kern sat staring at Miss
Heth's retreating back: and lo, a miracle. When the lovely lady had gone
perhaps ten steps down the aisle, her pace seemed to slacken all at
once, and she suddenly glanced back over her shoulder. And then--oh,
wonder of wonders!--Miss Heth stopped, turned around, and came swishing
straight back to the seat beside Kern Garland.

"That was silly of me," said the pretty voice. "You were quite right not
to take it if you didn't want it ..."

Kern desired to cry. But that would be very ridiculous, in a store, and
doubtless annoying to