ed
in early years, his kind tone touched my Heart, and made me lachrymoze.
Such must always be the feelings of those who decieve.

But, although bent, I was not yet broken. I therfore wept on in silence
while father patted my back.

"Because," he said, "while I am willing to wait until you are ready,
when things begin to get to thick I want you to know that I'm around,
the same as usual."

He kissed the back of my neck, which was all that was visable, and went
to the door. From there he said, in a low tone:

"And by the way, Bab, I think, since you bought me the Tie, it would be
rather nice to get your mother somthing also. How about it? Violets, you
know, or--or somthing."

Ye gods! Violets at five dollars a hundred. But I agreed. I then sat up
in bed and said:

"Father, what would you say if you knew some one was decieving you?"

"Well," he said, "I am an old Bird and hard to decieve. A good many
people think they can do it, however, and now and then some one gets
away with it."

I felt softened and repentent. Had he but patted me once more, I would
have told all. But he was looking for a match for his cigar, and the
opportunaty passed.

"Well," he said, "close up that active brain of yours for the night,
Bab, and here are to `don'ts' to sleep on. Don't break your neck in--in
any way. You're a reckless young Lady. And don't elope with the first
moony young idiot who wants to hold your hand. There will quite likly be
others."

Others! How heartless! How cynical! Were even those I love best to
worldly to understand a monogamous Nature?

When he had gone out, I rose to hide my Check Book in the crown of an
old hat, away from Hannah. Then I went to the window and glansed out.
There was no moon, but the stars were there as usual, over the roof
of that emty domacile next door, whence all life had fled to the
neighborhood of the Country Club.

But a strange thing caught my eye and transfixed it. There on the
street, looking up at our house, now in the first throes of sleep, was
the Stranger I had seen that afternoon when I had upset the milk wagon
against the Park fense.

III

I shall now remove the Familey to the country, which is easier on paper
than in the flesh, owing to having to take china, silver, bedding and
edables. Also porch furnature and so on.

Sis acted very queer while we were preparing. She sat in her room and
knited, and was not at home to Callers, although there were not many
owing