ay won't allow one of them on the grounds. You'd die
laughing to see him chasing them off with a spade or a rake or whatever
he has in his hand. His property till July ninth, he says, and he
wouldn't let so much as a crow fly over it if it belonged to Hadley B.
Hobson. You'd die laughing."

"I don't see how you can laugh when he's in such trouble, poor man."

"Oh, well," Jim drawled, optimistically, "he won't do so bad. He can
always have a job with father. Father's mingled with him ever since the
two of them were young. If Mr. Fay hadn't been so moonstruck he'd have
had just the same chance as father had."

Lois chose a moment which seemed to be discreet in order to say: "I know
Rosie quite well. I've seen a good deal of her during the past few
months."

"Rosie's all right, Mrs. Masterman," Jim answered, suddenly and a trifle
aggressively. "I don't care what any one says--she's all right."

"I know she's all right, Jim. She's one of the most remarkable
characters I've ever met. I often wish she'd let me help her more."

"Well, you hold on to her, Mrs. Masterman," he advised, with a curious,
pleading quality in his voice. "You'll find she'll be worth it. And if
ever a girl was up against it--she is."

"I will hold on to her, Jim."

"It's all rot what people are saying that she'd gone melancholy because
she took that fool jump into the pond. I know how she did it. She'd got
to the point where she couldn't help it, where she just couldn't stand
any more--with the business all gone to pieces and Matt coming out of
jail, and everything else. Who wouldn't have done it? I'd have done it
myself, if I'd been a girl. She'd got worked up, Mrs. Masterman, and
when girls get worked up, why, they'll do anything. I believe the
shock's done her good. Sort of cleared her mind like."

Lois tried to be tactful. "Then you see her?"

"We-ll--on and off." He grew appealing and confidential. "I don't mind
telling you, Mrs. Masterman," he began, as if acknowledging an
indiscretion, "I went with Rosie once. Went with her for over a year."

"Did you, Jim?"

He leaned nonchalantly against Maud's barrel-shaped body, his face
taking on an expression of boyish regret. "And I'd have gone on going
with her if--if Rosie hadn't--hadn't kind of dropped me."

"Oh, but, Jim, why should she?"

"We-ll, I can understand it. Rosie's high-toned, you know, Mrs.
Masterman, and she's got a magnificent education. I guess you wouldn't
come across t