. Of course he is out of the question. Not on account of the
false teeth, the wig and the rubber goods, for women marry men with
those encumbrances every day and are happy, but for other reasons."

"Mother, did you ever have any other proposals besides father's?"

"Yes, I had three while I was in college."

"At my age?"

"I was two years younger."

"That makes me feel better some; but I don't want such things to come to
me. It frightens me."

"Daughter, you probably know you are more than good looking. Do you?"

"Yes," said Helen, in a low tone.

"It is a great gift, but it is a dangerous one. You must use it in the
right way."

"Mother, I do try. I am not a flirt, am I, mother?" Helen looked up
appealingly.

"Look right into my eyes, mother, and see?"

Mrs. Douglas looked and with a sigh of relief saw there as pure and
womanly a soul waiting development as ever lived.

"No, thank God, Helen, I believe you realise what your beauty might mean
to bless or to curse. But sometimes the hurt comes in spite of one's
self."

There was a very long pause and then Helen said timidly, "Mother, you
are thinking of someone in particular. I have tried to be very careful.
I had to be kind. But how could I know------"

"You mean Felix Bauer?"

"Yes, mother."

"Do you mean he has spoken to you in so short a time?"

"No, no, mother, not spoken. Only, only, looked at me. You don't blame
me, do you, do you, mother?"

Helen began to cry again, but in a different way from the outburst
before. She cried softly and Mrs. Douglas could feel the girl's hand
pressing her arm convulsively.

She was really puzzled to know what to say in spite of the evident fact
that Felix Bauer had simply yielded to the inevitable through no fault
of Helen's or anybody's. At last she said:

"Do you feel superior to Mr. Bauer?"

Helen raised her head and blushed as she looked up.

"Why, no, that is, of course, he knows German and I don't, and he knows
a lot about electricity and I don't and--and------"

"He's not much of a talker," said her mother.

"No, but on that account he avoids saying so many foolish things. And he
is very interesting, and, and, good. But he is only a poor student and
it looks now as if he might grow up to be nothing but a manufacturer of
incubators to raise chickens."

"Which is almost as bad as rubber goods," murmured Esther.

Helen did not reply. After a while her mother said, "Tell me just one
thing dear,