ned it."

Debby could make no answer to this. Miss Richards bent over her
needlework. She and Debby in all their years of intimacy, had but once
before discussed the question. It had been Hester and Hester's future
which had brought it up. The two women sat in silence for some minutes,
when Debby said, "You cannot understand in what way life must be
different for my girl. You do not understand and I cannot explain."

"Very well. But bear this in mind, Debby. You must not take the
responsibility too heavily upon yourself. You are able to do a limited
amount. There is a greater power in Hester Alden's life, than you. It is
omnipotent and has a greater conception of life than your feeble mind
can grasp."

"I know," said Debby humbly. "I am able to do so little. I cannot save
my little girl all the bruises and hard places. She must bear them
herself."

"And you should not if you could. Do not worry about Hester's being able
to bear them. She has a courageous spirit and indomitable will."

Silence came again. Miss Richards worked on the center-piece she was
embroidering. Debby leaned back in her chair. Her eyes rested upon the
dying coals of the grate. Hester's childlike chatter had started her
thinking on matters she tried to keep back in her memory. She blushed at
her foolishness. Her practical business-like mind looked with scorn upon
day-dreams--such day-dreams as came to her then, as she sat with her
eyes on the grate. She could not smile at Hester's talk of Rob Vail's
wonderful attainments. It touched too deeply. She had thought the same
of Jim Baker that winter he took her to the spelling-bees. He had been a
rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed boy who had ambitions. She had listened to his
stories of the work he meant to do and she looked upon him as the most
wonderful person in the world. But that had happened over twenty years
ago, and she was very foolish to think of it at all.

Miss Richards worked in silence. At last when Debby Alden brought
herself back from her day-dreams, her companion addressed her.

"When Miss Loraine was here, Debby, did you observe the resemblance
between her and Hester?"

"Did I? I most assuredly did. The likeness was so strong that I almost
exclaimed aloud when Helen stepped from the car. She was my Hester, with
just a little difference."

"You passed the subject over so lightly that I thought you had not
observed what I had."

"I passed over it lightly because I did not wish to disturb