be. I met him once at the Sign of the Maple with my
father, and he seemed to be so different from most men. He was so
manly and had such a strong face. I liked him as soon as I saw him."

"He deserves great credit, Miss Westcote. He is a self-made man, and
his life has been a hard one. He has had to struggle against many
obstacles. But he will win and make a name for himself, I feel quite
sure."

It was impossible for these two to be long alone in such a quiet spot.
Just when the conversation was becoming interesting, they were sought
for by their partners for the next dance, and reluctantly they were
forced to forego the many things they wished to say to each other.

CHAPTER XV

THE "CUT-OFF"

The meeting with Margaret Westcote was a great event in Lois' life.
Hitherto, her lot had been somewhat of a lonely one, with no special
girl friend to share her confidences. Her interests had always been so
different from others that she was not looked upon by any as a boon
companion. She often reasoned with them and asked why they should make
selfish pleasure the principal motive of living when they could have
more enjoyment by putting self last and others first.

With Margaret Westcote, however, it was different. She was after Lois'
own heart, and the two were as one in their interests. Each supplied
what the other lacked; one her vivaciousness, and the other her
calmness of mind. Their friendship was not a growth but a fusing at
the first meeting. They were now very much together, and Margaret took
a keen interest in the work of getting the Christmas supplies ready for
needy families.

Dick was delighted that this beautiful girl was so much at the house,
and for the first time in his life he found Church work most
interesting. He was always ready to help, but was generally in the
way. It was quite evident that he was greatly in love with Margaret,
though she on her part treated him as a mere boy and not as a lover.
He could not seem to realise that she was an excellent judge of
character, and preferred men who did things instead of spending their
time in idleness. Lois understood the girl's feelings, and the truth
began to dawn upon her that Jasper Randall was Margaret's ideal type of
a man. One who could battle and overcome was the man who appealed to
her. Whenever Jasper's name was mentioned Margaret's eyes would
sparkle with animation, and she never tired of talking about him and
the strugg