and kissed
her.

"Now, Nancy, come on, and 'fess up," was the bomb which Alma hurled
without a word of warning. "I know perfectly well that you've got
something on your conscience, and I've got a suspicion already that
it's Mr. Arnold."

If she was desirous of creating a sensation, she should have been amply
satisfied with the result of her remarks. Mrs. Prescott, as if she had
been suddenly aroused from sleep, opened her pretty mouth and stared at
her elder daughter for a moment and then exclaimed:

"I must have been dreaming!" Nancy squirmed. She looked reproachfully
at Alma, then at her mother, and at length said simply:

"He--he asked me to marry him." And then she followed with the whole
story. She told them of her visit to her uncle, where she had seen Mr.
Arnold for the second time, and then went on to give a full account of
her memorable trip to the pawnbrokers' with the ring.

"I--I would have told you everything long ago, but I didn't want you to
think that Uncle Thomas was 'relenting' because he asked me to visit
him--and about the other time----" Alma stopped her by leaning over
and kissing her.

"You were paying for _my_ experience," Alma said bravely. "I
learned--I don't know what exactly, except that people like Mildred,
whom I always thought as being important to know, weren't worth one
teeny little ounce of trouble. I learned to be honest with myself, and
that it's a whole lot better to work with your two hands than to be a
toady, for the sake of making things easier,--and lots else. And I'm
going to work hard, Nancy----"

"Stuff and nonsense!" declared an angry voice from the doorway. From a
gargantuan bouquet of hyacinths, lilacs, and daffodils, issued the
voice of the "Ogre." Evidently, finding the front door open, and the
lower floor deserted, and hearing the sound of voices from above, the
old gentleman had borne his offering aloft, without a word of
announcement. Snorting with some inward indignation, he testily tossed
his head to get rid of an impudent lilac which was tickling his nose,
and glared over the bouquet.

"This idea of working is pure foolishness. I never heard of such
women's nonsense before in my life. Here, where in the name of common
sense can I put these flowers, and why wasn't I informed of my niece's
illness?" When Nancy, stifling her unseemly laughter, had relieved him
of his offering, he grew calmer.

"Why wasn't I told that you were ill, my dear?"