ully, "you must tell me why you have
stayed away so long."

"Perhaps to see if you would miss me."

"I have missed you so much."

"That is certainly a compliment to me as a conversationalist, As you
wrote in your note you appreciate my sensible conversation I am afraid
you overestimate me. I have a friend who is really brilliant, and can
converse eloquently upon any subject. May I bring him with me?"

"Who is he?" asked Luella hesitatingly.

"Professor Grimes."

"What, the lecturer?"

"Yes."

"Why. he is grotesque in appearance. I heard him lecture once, and
thought he wore a mask, so ugly was his face."

"You admit his eloquence, however?"

"Yes; but from such a mouth even pearls cease to attract. Pray don't
bring him! He positively makes me shudder, I assure you."

Luella did not like the turn the conversation had taken. There seemed
no chance for sentiment, and she wanted to bring all her fascinations
to bear.

"You have some etchings to show me; Miss Ferguson?" said Lindsay, after
a pause.

"Yes; but I want to show them to you myself. You will have to come and
sit beside me."

"Willingly," answered Alfred, but his tone was conventional, and lacked
the warmth it had formerly shown.

Together they looked over the collection. Luella saw, however, to her
mortification, that Lindsay was calm and cold. It seemed clear that she
had lost her power over him. What could be the reason?

"Can it be that girl, Ruth Patton?" she asked herself. "Is it she who
is drawing Alfred Lindsay away from me? I must warn him against her."

"By the way, haven't you a copyist in your office named Ruth Patton?"

"How did you know?" asked Lindsay.

"I met her the other day on Broadway. Perhaps you don't know, but she
is an humble protegee of my father's."

"A protegee?"

"Yes; papa has been very kind to the family. He took charge of their
affairs on the death of her father, and, though there was not enough
property to pay the debts, he paid them all, and sent a check to Mrs.
Patton besides."

"That was certainly considerate!" said Lindsay; but from his tone it
could not be discovered if he were speaking in earnest or ironically.

"As you say, it was considerate, but this Ruth is very ungrateful. She
was actually ridiculous enough to think they ought to have had a
fortune, and I believe blames papa for the way things have come out."

Alfred Lindsay listened politely, but did not express an opinion.

"She is a ver