one has in this world must be paid for
and the question that had caused her to lose her red "corpuskles" had
been whether she was willing to pay the price or whether she would go
without the love and happiness and companionship that were offered to
her.

She flushed adorably as she met Mr. Jerry's anxious eyes. "I--I don't
want to," she said with rueful honesty and then the words came in a
hurried rush, "But I'm--I'm afraid I do! It's all your fault, Mary
Rose." And she hid her pink cheeks in Mary Rose's yellow hair.

"My fault!" Mary Rose was surprised and puzzled and a wee bit hurt.
She did not understand how she could be to blame.

But Mr. Jerry understood and with a quick exclamation he stopped the
car. And there, behind a great clump of tall lilac bushes, he put his
arms around them both. He kissed them both, too, Mary Rose first and
hurriedly and then Miss Thorley, second and lingeringly.

"You dear--you darling!" he said to Miss Thorley and his breath came
quickly and his eyes shone. He kissed her again. "You dearest! I've
been the most patient lover on the footstool. Thank God, I was patient
and just wouldn't be discouraged!"

Mary Rose caught his sleeve. "Are you the prince, Mr. Jerry?" she
wanted to know and her eyes shone, too. "And is the spell broken?
Have you driven away the old witch Independence? What did it?"

Mr. Jerry smiled at her flushed face. His own face was flushed and it
had a wonderful radiance to Mary Rose as she looked up at him. "Love
did it, Mary Rose." He squeezed her hand. "Love for you and love for
me. Love's the only thing that can break old Independence's spell."

"Independence isn't a wicked witch, Mary Rose," interrupted Miss
Thorley, who was squeezing Mary Rose's other hand.

"Isn't she?" Mary Rose was doubtful. Mr. Jerry had said she was a most
wicked witch.

"A wicked witch would never make a girl brave and strong and self----"

"Self-supporting like George Washington," Mary Rose broke in jubilantly.

"Self-supporting," Miss Thorley accepted the word with a smile, "and
keep her safe and busy until her prince came and she could be a real
help to him. Independence isn't a wicked witch, Mary Rose. She's a
girl's good fairy."

"Is she, Mr. Jerry?" Mary Rose had to have that theory indorsed before
she could be quite sure. "Is she?"

"I expect she is," Mr. Jerry handsomely admitted. "Perhaps I've been
mistaken in the old girl. Anyway we're friends