l a book from the shelf over his
desk and read a poem to her; and he was really interested in her
opinion,--ardently appreciative if he liked the poem; if he didn't, it
was "the limit."

Maurice was at home that Saturday night for which Edith had thrown the
careless invitation to Johnny; and Mrs. Newbolt also dropped in to
dinner. It was not a pleasant dinner. Eleanor sat in one of her empty
silences; saw Maurice frown at an overdone leg of lamb; heard her aunt's
stream of comments on her housekeeping; listened to Edith's teasing
chatter to Johnny;--"What _can_ Maurice see in her!" She thought.
Before dinner was over, she excused herself; she had a headache, she
said. "You won't mind, Auntie, will you?"

Mrs. Newbolt said, heartily, "_Not_ a bit! My dear mother used to--"

Eleanor, picking up little Bingo, went with lagging step out of the
room.

"Children," said Mrs. Newbolt, "why don't you make taffy this evening?"

"_That's_ sense," said Edith; "let's! It's Mary's night out. Sorry poor
old Eleanor isn't up to it."

Maurice frowned; "Look here, Edith, that isn't--respectful."

Edith looked so blankly astonished that Mrs. Newbolt defended her: "But
Eleanor _does_ look old! And she'll lose her figger if she isn't
careful! My dear grandmother--used to say, 'Girls, I'd rather have you
lose your vir--'"

"Don't raise Cain in the kitchen, you two," Maurice said, hastily;
"Eleanor hates noise."

Edith, subdued by his rebuke, said she wouldn't raise Cain; and, indeed,
she and Johnny were preternaturally quiet until things had been cleared
away and the taffy could be started. When it was on the stove, there was
at least ten minutes of whispering while they watched the black molasses
shimmer into the first yellow rings. Then Johnny, in a low voice, talked
for a good while of something he called "Philosophy"--which seemed to
consist in a profound disbelief in everything. "Take religion," said
Johnny. "I'd like to discuss it with you; I think you have a very good
mind--for a woman. Religion is an illustration of what I mean. It's a
delusion. A complete delusion. I have ceased to believe in anything."

"Oh, Johnny, how awful!" said Edith, stirring the seething sweetness;
"Johnny, be a lamb, and get me a tumbler of cold water, will you, to try
this stuff?"

Johnny brought the water ("Oh, how young she is!" he thought), and Edith
poured a trickle of taffy into it.

"Is it done?" Edith said, and held out the brittle st