upon her that she had an ordeal at hand. Her heart
palpitated. She heard his quick step on the stairs. She called before
she showed herself.

"Hello!... Oh, but you startled me!" he exclaimed. He had been
surprised, too, at the abrupt meeting. Certainly he had not been
thinking of her. His pale, determined face attested to stern and
excitable thought.

He halted before her.

"Where are you going?" asked Lenore.

"To see your father."

"What about?"

"It's rather important," he replied, with hesitation.

"Will it take long?"

He showed embarrassment. "I--He--We'll be occupied 'most all evening."

"Indeed!... Very well. If you'd rather be--_occupied_--than spend the
evening with me!" Lenore turned away, affecting a disdainful and hurt
manner.

"Lenore, it's not that," he burst out. "I--I'd rather spend an evening
with you than anybody else--or do anything."

"That's very easy to say, Mr. Dorn," she returned, lightly.

"But it's true," he protested.

"Come out of the hall. Father will hear us," she said, and led him into
the room. It was not so light in there, but what light there was fell
upon his face and left hers in shadow.

"I've made an--an appointment for to-night," he declared, with
difficulty.

"Can't you break it?" she asked.

"No. That would lay me open to--to cowardice--perhaps your father's
displeasure."

"Kurt Dorn, it's brave to give up some things!... And if you go you'll
incur _my_ displeasure."

"Go!" he ejaculated, staring at her.

"Oh, I know!... And I'm--well, not flattered to see you'd rather go hang
I.W.W.'s than stay here with me." Lenore did not feel the assurance and
composure with which she spoke. She was struggling with her own
feelings. She believed that just as soon as she and Kurt understood each
other--faced each other without any dissimulation--then she would feel
free and strong. If only she could put the situation on a sincere
footing! She must work for that. Her difficulty was with a sense of
falsity. There was no time to plan. She must change his mind.

Her words had made him start.

"Then you know?" he asked.

"Of course."

"I'm sorry for that," he replied, soberly, as he brushed a hand up
through his wet hair.

"But you will stay home?"

"No," he returned, shortly, and he looked hard.

"Kurt, I don't want _you_ mixed up with any lynching-bees," she said,
earnestly.

"I'm a citizen of Washington. I'll join the vigilantes. I'm American.
I've been