hree steps from the bottom she came face to face with Allan
Whittredge and Katherine.

Celia hated herself for her burning cheeks as she bowed gravely. One hand
held her work big, the other was on Belle's shoulder; and if, us for a
fleeting instant she thought, Allan was about to hold out his hand, he
changed his mind. His manner was calmly, unconcernedly polite as he spoke
her name.

"Uncle Allan, what are you doing here?" called Rosalind.

Under the chorus of greetings and explanations Celia slipped away. Her
thoughts were in a tumult as she hurried across the grounds to her own
home.

Her mother was on the porch with a caller, and Celia took her seat there
and went on with her sewing. The visitor remarked on her improved color,
and Mrs. Fair looked at her daughter in some perplexity, Celia had been so
pale of late.

All the evening she worked with feverish energy, writing labels for fruit
jars and pasting them on, until no shadow of an excuse remained for not
going to bed.

When at length she went to her room, it was to sit at the open window
gazing blankly out into the darkness. She had been telling herself
fiercely how silly and weak she was, but she had not succeeded in
conquering her unhappiness. Now she resisted no longer.

She had not met Allan Whittredge face to face before for six years,
although since his father's death he had been frequently in Friendship.
She had known it must happen sometime, and had schooled herself to think
it would mean nothing to her, but instead it had brought back a host of
vain regrets.

She had been happier of late. Association with those light-hearted
children had brought back something of her old hopefulness. That a chance
meeting with Allan Whittredge could change all this, humiliated her.

"You haven't any pride, Celia Fair. It was your own doing."

"I had to do it; it was forced on me."

"And a fortunate thing it was. Do you suppose he would care now? These
years which he has spent out in the world--what have they done for you?
They have turned a happy-hearted girl into a bitter, disappointed woman."
So she argued with herself.

Resting her head on the sill, she let her thoughts go where they would.

"You are sure you won't forget, Celia? It is going to be a long time,"
Allan had said. She was still a schoolgirl, and he just through college,
and no one but her father knew about it. Dr. Fair had shaken his head, but
he loved Allan almost as much as he loved Cel