eration shown her than I. I have
given you a great deal of trouble, and you never complained. I have come
between you and friends--"

"My dear," Mabel interposed again, "that is all right. Our friends will
come back." And she nodded and looked like a female Solomon, while Jane
whispered something and put her disengaged arm around the orator.

"Don't interrupt me any more, please. You know it is not easy for me to
talk of these matters--"

"That is so," said I. "It is rarely we get a speech from Clarice on any
subject. Do keep quiet, all of you, and let the poor girl go on."

"But now I must tell you something you have no idea of."

Here the female portion of the audience pricked up their ears, and I
began to be nervous. "It is about Mr. Hartman's going away in August.
That was all my fault."

"Don't you believe her," said I. "He says it was all his fault."

"Do be quiet, Robert. He is coming to-morrow, and justice must be done
him. I treated him very badly, and--"

"She didn't," said I. "Clarice, we don't want to be dragged into all
your private squabbles, but if you will tell this disreputable story you
have got to tell it straight. Jim says you merely showed a proper
spirit, and so you did."

"Why, what do you know about it, Robert?" cried Mabel and Jane together.

"He was there, hidden in the bushes, like a villain in a cloak and
slouched hat."

Here came a chorus of exclamations and reproaches, till one of us had to
say, "You may as well give it up, Clarice. These women will never let
you go on; they don't know how to listen. If you were talking only to
me, now--"

"Jane, you can never twit him again with not being able to keep a
secret; he kept this one sacredly for three months."

"Of course he did," said Mabel: "I always knew it."

"Why, Robert, you told me--," Clarice exclaimed, and "O no, you didn't,
my dear," some one else put in, while Jane looked triumphant.

"No, I didn't know this secret, of course," Mabel admitted: "I only
meant that I always knew Robert could keep a secret, if it were of very
extraordinary importance, and if he were certain it would ruin
everything to let it out. Poor Robert, what a hard time you have had!"

"But how did he come to overhear your conversation?" said Jane. "What
business had he there?"

"It was all through his pipe. Mabel, you must never object to his pipe
again."

"There now, Mabel," remarked another of the company, "you wouldn't
believe that the pi