f a neighboring
door--the effect was most disconcerting. It was not like the
ordinary eye, which, under such embarrassing circumstances, would have
been immediately withdrawn; it kept its position with deliberate
boldness. He turned his paper solemnly and looked again. There was the
eye. He turned it again. Still was the eye present. He crossed his
legs and looked again. Now the eye was gone.

This little episode, unimportant in itself, was yet informed with
the saving grace of comedy, a thing to which Lester was especially
responsive. Although not in the least inclined to relax his attitude
of aloofness, he found his mind, in the minutest degree, tickled by
the mysterious appearance; the corners of his mouth were animated by a
desire to turn up. He did not give way to the feeling, and stuck by
his paper, but the incident remained very clearly in his mind. The
young wayfarer had made her first really important impression upon
him.

Not long after this Lester was sitting one morning at breakfast,
calmly eating his chop and conning his newspaper, when he was aroused
by another visitation--this time not quite so simple. Jennie had
given Vesta her breakfast, and set her to amuse herself alone until
Lester should leave the house. Jennie was seated at the table, pouring
out the coffee, when Vesta suddenly appeared, very business-like in
manner, and marched through the room. Lester looked up, and Jennie
colored and arose.

"What is it, Vesta?" she inquired, following her.

By this time, however, Vesta had reached the kitchen, secured a
little broom, and returned, a droll determination lighting her
face.

"I want my little broom," she exclaimed and marched sedately past,
at which manifestation of spirit Lester again twitched internally,
this time allowing the slightest suggestion of a smile to play across
his mouth.

The final effect of this intercourse was gradually to break down
the feeling of distaste Lester had for the child, and to establish in
its place a sort of tolerant recognition of her possibilities as a
human being.

The developments of the next six months were of a kind to further
relax the strain of opposition which still existed in Lester's mind.
Although not at all resigned to the somewhat tainted atmosphere in
which he was living, he yet found himself so comfortable that he could
not persuade himself to give it up. It was too much like a bed of
down. Jennie was too worshipful. The condition of unques