ne had something in it that seemed to call for some sort of
justification from Ruth.

"You know she's just been married, and she's as full of fun as she can
be. And she likes a good time immensely, and loves to be with us
girls, and it won't bore her a bit to go, and it's ever so much better
to have her than--than--some one who wouldn't enjoy it, you know."

"Is Mr. Cole to be of the party?" Miss Blake inquired, still with that
odd inflection.

"Why, no," responded Ruth, twisting her handkerchief into a hard knot.
"There won't be room for him. But Mrs. Cole said it didn't matter in
the least. She says she often goes off and leaves him, and he has just
as nice a time sitting home with his cigar and a book or something."

"They have been married, I think, three months," Miss Blake commented
half to herself.

"Yes, about," replied Ruth. "And Mrs. Cole is just as gay and jolly as
she ever was. You may think that it isn't very dignified for a married
woman to--"

"Oh! my dear Ruth," interrupted the governess hastily, "I am not
disparaging Mrs. Cole, and I have no right to express an opinion
concerning her conduct, but I think--yes, I am quite sure that I prefer
Nan not to join your party."

Ruth jumped from her chair with a cry of protest: "O Miss Blake! Don't
say that! Think of it, we're going to drive down as far as Howe's and
have a supper and it will be such fun. We want Nan awfully. She's
just the best company in the world, and if she doesn't go it will
be--well, it will be too bad. Do please say she may."

Miss Blake shook her head somewhat sadly. "I can't say so, Ruth.
There are special reasons why Nan ought not to go--reasons that I can
only explain to her, but which I am sure she will understand. You
other girls have your mothers, but Nan has none, and that means that
she has no protector, now that her father is absent, unless I can stand
in such a relation to her. Believe me, I do not voluntarily deny Nan
any pleasure, but there are some instances in which I must."

"But it's going to be perfectly proper," Ruth insisted, almost in
tears. "You don't think my mother would let me go if it wasn't going
to be perfectly proper, do you, Miss Blake?"

The governess stood before the fire and rested her arm on the high
mantel-shelf, tapping the fender lightly with the toe of her slipper.
At Ruth's question she turned her head quickly from the flames toward
the girl with a compassionate smile.

"No