esn't know me; and he says his orders are not to go away without the
child. I can't convince him that there's no child here."

Just then they both started violently, for a double sound broke on
their ears, a long-drawn shriek as of a child in pain, followed by
Archie's voice, loud and remorseful,--

"Oh, by George!"

An instant later, Theodora appeared on the landing, ejaculating,--

"Gracious me! I forgot her."

"Theodora, what does this mean?" the doctor demanded breathlessly, as he
rushed up the stairs. Then, at the open door, he paused in sheer
amazement. In the middle of the floor stood Archie Holden, staring at
the bed with a face devoid of all expression. Sitting up in the bed and
staring back at him with a face of injured innocence and pain, was an
unwholesome child of Keltic extraction and unneat exterior, with a dingy
knitted hood in lieu of nightcap, and two chapped hands appearing from
two vast gray sleeves.

Archie appeared to think that it devolved upon him to explain the
situation.

"I'm sorry," he said meekly. "You see, I didn't turn up the gas at
first, but I just sat down on the edge of the bed to take off my shoes.
I didn't know this--this young person was here, and I suppose I sat on
her. But really I can't imagine where she came from. I didn't bring
her."

"Theodora!" said the doctor, sternly.

But Theodora had vanished, to hide her head from the sight of her
protegee, and from the merriment shining in Archie's blue eyes.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Do you often do that kind of thing, Miss Teddy?"

Theodora, with her hands full of books, was passing through the lower
hall. At the sudden question, she glanced up to see Archie Holden
leaning on the banisters and looking down at her.

"What thing?" she asked.

"Oh, adopting stray babies. You gave me a fine fright, last night."

Theodora blushed. Then, as she met his merry eyes, she burst out
laughing.

"Wasn't it awful? I put the child to bed and promised her some supper,
and then I forgot her."

"And I sat on her," Archie supplemented. "I don't know which of us was
the more astonished, she or I. What were you going to do with her?"

"Why, you see," Theodora dropped her books on the seat by the staircase
and settled herself beside them; "you see, it was my first experience
with slumming."

"With what?"

"Don't you know? Or don't you have any slums in Montana? Everybody does
it here, and it's beautiful."

"What's the usual _mo