very disreputable street. Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Then be so kind as to turn back with me and take the cars."

She glanced at him quickly, unused to his tone of command, and turned
with him.

"How do you happen to be here?" he asked shortly.

"Dr. Kemp took me to see a poor patient of his."

"Dr. Kemp?" surprise raised his eyebrows half an inch.

"Yes."

"Indeed! Then," he continued in cool, biting words, "why didn't he carry
his charity a little farther and take you home again?"

"Because I did not choose to go with him," she returned, rearing her
head and looking calmly at him as they walked along.

"Bah! What had your wishing or not wishing to do with it? The man
knew where he had taken you even if you did not know. This quarter is
occupied by nothing but negroes and foreign loafers. It was decidedly
ungentlemanly to leave you to return alone at this time of the evening."

"Probably he gave me credit for being able to take care of myself in
broad daylight."

"Probably he never gave it a second's thought one way or the other.
Hereafter you had better consult your natural protectors before starting
out on Quixotic excursions with indifferent strangers."

"Louis!"

She actually stamped her little foot while walking.

"Well?"

"Stop that, please. You are not my keeper."

Her cousin smiled quizzically. They took their seats on the dummy, just
as the sun, a golden ball, was about to glide behind Lone Mountain. Late
afternoon is a quiet time, and Ruth and Louis did not speak for a while.

The girl was experiencing a whirl of conflicting emotions,--anger at
Louis's interference, pleasure at his protecting care, annoyance at
what he considered gross negligence on the doctor's part, and a sneaking
pride, in defiance of his insinuations, over the thought that Kemp had
trusted to her womanliness as a safeguard against any chance annoyance.
She also felt ashamed at having showed temper.

"Louis," she ventured finally, rubbing her shoulder against his, as
gentle animals conciliate their mates, "I am sorry I spoke so harshly;
but it exasperates me to hear you cast slurs, as you have done before,
upon Dr. Kemp in his absence."

"Why should it, my dear, since it give you a chance to uphold him?"

There is a way of saying "my dear" that is as mortifying as a slap in
the face.

The dark blood surged over the girl's cheeks. She drew a long, hard
breath, and then said in a low voice,--

"I think we