er by and by. By Jove, Ted, I wish
you'd seen him go down on his knees to Billy! There was something grand
in it, to see him, with his gray hair and great brown eyes, apologizing
to a boy like that. Of course, he owed him an apology and a big one; but
not many men would have made it so generously before us all."

"There aren't many men like him," Theodora said proudly. "And Billy? How
is he?"

"Jolly as a sandpiper. He vows that there's no one quite like you,
though. You did stand by him like a good fellow, Ted, for a fact."

"You too, Archie. You helped me out, when you came. I wish you were my
brother."

Archie laughed a little consciously.

"Maybe we can fix that up in time. Now go along and pack up your
trumpery."

Theodora's face suddenly grew grave.

"Are they very angry at me at home, Archie?"

He laughed.

"Horribly. Still, I've an idea that, if you're meek enough, you'll be in
a fair way to be forgiven."

And she was forgiven. Her welcome home was hearty and loving from them
all, pathetically so from Billy, who tried in vain to cover his real
emotion under a boyish indifference. The last words were still to be
said, however; and it was not until Theodora sat alone in the office
with her father, that night, that she felt the incident was ended and
she stood among them on precisely the old ground.

"I can't blame you, my girl," he said at last, as he drew his arm yet
more tightly about her waist. "You were rash and headstrong. You caused
us two days of terrible anxiety, and you might have run into serious
difficulties; but your purpose was a good one, even if it was too
impetuous and daring for a child like you. We were all blind, Teddy,
strangely blind; and I can never forgive myself for my unjust
suspicions, nor be glad enough that you stood by your old friend in the
face of all this evidence." There was a silence. Then he bent over and
kissed her forehead. "Teddy dear, if you can only tame down this
rashness of yours, and yet be the same loyal girl you are now, your
womanhood will be very big and beautiful. But remember this, dear, in
all this wilful, hasty end of the century, a true woman must be as
gentle as she is brave, as thoughtful as she is loving."

"But I'm glad it's all over," Theodora said contentedly, the next day.

She and Billy sat on the piazza, in the golden noon of an early October
day. Hope was in the hammock, with Allyn beside her and Archie on the
floor at her feet, while H