gentle, crooning tone, patting the
girl's cheek as she talked. "A quarrel where there is no love is soon
forgotten, but a difference when both love may, if not quickly healed,
leave a scar that will last through life."

"There are as good fish in the sea as were ever caught," cried the girl
in sheer bravado, brushing away her tears.

"Don't believe it, dearie--and don't ever say it. That has wrecked more
lives than you know. That is what I once knew a girl to say--a girl just
about your age--"

"But she found somebody else, and that's just what I'm going to do.
I'm not going to have Mark read me a lecture every time I want to do
something he doesn't like. Didn't your girl find somebody else?"

"No--never. She is still unmarried."

"Yes--but it wasn't her fault, was it?"

"Yes--although she did not know it at the time. She opened a door
suddenly and found her lover alone with another girl. The two had stolen
off together where they would not be interrupted. He was pleading for
his college friend--straightening out just some such foolish quarrel as
you have had with Mark--but the girl would not understand; nor did she
know the truth until a year afterward. Then it was too late."

The Little Gray Lady stopped, lifted her hand from the girl's head, and
turned her face toward the now dying fire.

"And what became of him?" asked the girl in a hushed voice, as if she
dared not awaken the memory.

"He went away and she has never seen him since."

For some minutes there was silence, then Kate said in a braver tone:

"And he married somebody else?"

"No."

"Well, then, she died?"

"No."

The Littie Lady had not moved, nor had she taken her eyes from the
blaze. She seemed to be addressing some invisible body who could hear
and understand. The girl felt its influence and a tremor ran through
her. The fitful blaze casting weird shadows helped this feeling. At
last, with an effort, she asked:

"You say you know them both, Cousin Annie?"

"Yes--he was my dear friend. I was just thinking of him when you came
in."

The charred logs broke into a heap of coals; the blaze flickered and
died. But for the lone candle in the corner the room would have been in
total darkness.

"Shall I light another candle, Cousin Annie?" shivered the girl, "or
bring that one nearer?"

"No, it's Christmas Eve, and I only light one candle on Christmas Eve."

"But what's one candle! Why, father has the whole house as bright as day
an