had given Alma ten. A glance
into her purse showed her to her dismay that she had left herself
exactly fifty-four cents. She knew, of course, that she could easily
borrow from Charlotte, but this she was absolutely unwilling to do,
first because she did not want to have to write to her mother for more
money, and secondly because she did not want to do anything that she
would not have Alma do. To borrow from Charlotte was one thing, but to
have Alma follow her precedent was unwise; for in the first place, Alma
would borrow from Mildred Lloyd or Kay Leonard, and in the second
place, Alma might not know just where to set her limits. Nancy dropped
the purse, and shut the drawer quietly. After all, she told herself,
she had not deprived herself of so much pleasure that she should pity
herself. It was a beautiful day, clear and sparkling, and she would
enjoy herself just as much on a walk across country as at the "Countess
Betsey." Nancy had the happy faculty of banishing any regrets for a
pleasure which she could not reasonably take, and finding a substitute
for it with perfect cheerfulness. The prospect of a free day, which
she could spend as she liked, was as full of attraction for her as her
original plan for the matinee had been, and when Charlotte strolled in
upon her, she was whistling softly as she pulled on her scarlet
tam-o'-shanter.

"Listen, Charlotte--don't kill me--but I'm afraid I've got to stay here
after all. Do you mind awfully?" Naturally she could not give the
reasons for her default on the theatre party; and because she had
forgotten to think up a plausible excuse she flushed slightly.

"Oh, come now!" howled Charlotte in dismay. "You can't do anything
like that. There's not an earthly reason why you should stay here, and
you know it." Then quickly her singularly delicate tact warned her not
to press Nancy. The very fact that her friend had not given a reason
for breaking their engagement was enough for Charlotte to know that she
should not ask for one. The two girls understood each other so well
that they knew instinctively when to respect one another's silences.

"Well, if you can't, you can't, I suppose," she said quietly. "I'm
awfully sorry; but we can go in next Saturday. If you have anything to
do, however, there's no point in my staying around out here. I'll go
on in anyway. Do you want me to get anything for you?"

"Not a thing," replied Nancy, feeling an intense gratitude to