e little town, gone through the
business part where the shops were, and out into the suburbs. Suddenly
Willy stopped.

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed, "I've gone too far! I was so interested in
talking, that I didn't think."

"I'm sorry," said Mr. Burke, "that I've taken you out of your way. Can't
I get you what you want and save you the trouble?"

Now Willy was in another flutter. After the walk with the fur-trimmed
coat, and the talk about dollars by thousands and tens of thousands, she
could not come down to mention borax and blacking.

"Oh no, thank you!" said she, trying her best to think of some other
errand than the one she had come upon. "I don't believe it's finished
yet, and it's hardly worth while to stop. There was one of those big
cushion covers that she brought from Paris, that was to be filled with
down, but I don't believe it's ready yet, and I needn't stop."

Mr. Burke could not but think it a little odd that such a small basket
should be brought for the purpose of carrying home a large down cushion,
but he said nothing further on the subject. He had had a most gratifying
conversation with this communicative and agreeable person, and his
interest in Mrs. Cliff was greatly increased.

When he neared the hotel, he took leave of his companion, saying that he
would call in the afternoon; and Willy, after she had looked back and
was sure he was out of sight, slipped into the grocery store and got her
borax and blacking.

Mr. Burke called on Mrs. Cliff that afternoon, and the next morning, and
two or three times the day after. They came to be very much interested
in each other, and Burke in his mind compared this elderly friend with
his mother, and not to the advantage of the latter. Burke's mother was a
woman who would always have her own way, and wanted advice and counsel
from no one, but Mrs. Cliff was a very different woman.

She was so willing to listen to what Burke said--and his remarks were
nearly always on the subject of the proper expenditure of money--and
appeared to attach so much importance to his opinions, that he began to
feel that a certain responsibility, not at all an unpleasant one, was
forcing itself upon him.

He did not think that he should try to constitute himself her director,
or even to assume the position of professional suggester, but in an
amateur way he suggested, and she, without any idea of depending upon
him for suggestions, found herself more and more inclined to accept t