of
friendly content and enjoyment.

"I wonder if Miss Craven is crying in her room?" and Helen really longed
to go to her. She was so overflowing with happiness.

CHAPTER XII

THE COURAGE OF CONVICTIONS

The last mail came up just after dinner. It was in the Aldred House
mail-bag, and Mrs. Aldred handed out the letters. One she laid on the
table. But the recipient had no idea of it and was not among the
applicants.

When they were all gone she took that up. It was in a modern business
hand with a good deal of strength in it, not the kind of hand usual for
country farmers. The post mark was North Hope.

"Will you ask Miss Grant to come to me, Becky?"

Helen flew with eager blitheness through the hall and glanced with happy
inquiring eyes.

"Was there a letter for me? I did not expect one so soon."

"Is this from your uncle?" she held it up.

"Oh, no. That is from Mr. Warfield. I could tell that hand among a
hundred. Isn't it strong and quite as if he knew his own mind?"

She was positively eager with delight as she reached out her hand.

"He is no relative?"

"Oh, the Principal of the school where I went. You know I told you of
the interest he took in me."

"Of course you have read the school regulations in your room?"

Helen's bright face was suddenly shadowed.

"Oh, I do believe--I _did_ forget all about it. I wrote to Mrs. Van Dorn
and then to my uncle, and there seemed so many things I wanted to say to
him, and I just hurried them down. You see he asked me to write to
him----"

Helen paused embarrassed. She knew just where the little card was tacked
beside the door. Various rules and regulations and hours and a notice
that no correspondence would be allowed without permission, to any
gentleman except father and brothers or guardians. And she had never
thought of it at that moment.

"It must have been because he seemed to me like a guardian," she
explained. "That does not excuse my inattention, but please believe me,
Mrs. Aldred, that I didn't willfully break the rule. And you may read
the letter."

"You have the right of the first reading of it. Sit here, will you?"

Helen cut the end of the envelope, and was soon lost in it. Smiles
passed over her face, then she drew her brows in a little crease and the
lips were pressed together with a touch of annoyance. Then the smiles
again.

Mrs. Van Dorn had asked that Helen Grant should not be allowed to
correspond with Mr. Warfield. She d