r he had seen Alice, he would feel better.

Just how intimately this particular problem of his concerned Alice
herself, he did not stop to realize. He did not, indeed, think of it at
all from Alice's standpoint--until he came face to face with the girl in
the living-room at the Annex. Then, suddenly, he did. His manner became
at once, consequently, full of embarrassment and quite devoid of its
usual frank friendliness.

As it happened, this was perhaps the most unfortunate thing that could
have occurred, so far as it concerned the attitude of Alice Greggory,
for thereby innumerable tiny sparks of suspicion that had been
tormenting the girl for days were instantly fanned into consuming flames
of conviction.

Alice had not been slow to note Arkwright's prolonged absence from the
Annex. Coming as it did so soon after her most disconcerting talk with
Billy in regard to her own relations with him, it had filled her with
frightened questionings.

If Billy had seen things to make her think of linking their names
together, perhaps Arkwright himself had heard some such idea put forth
somewhere, and that was why he was staying away--to show the world that
there was no foundation for such rumors. Perhaps he was even doing it to
show _her_ that--

Even in her thoughts Alice could scarcely bring herself to finish the
sentence. That Arkwright should ever suspect for a moment that she cared
for him was intolerable. Painfully conscious as she was that she did
care for him, it was easy to fear that others must be conscious of it,
too. Had she not already proof that Billy suspected it? Why, then, might
not it be quite possible, even probable, that Arkwright suspected it,
also; and, because he did suspect it, had decided that it would be just
as well, perhaps, if he did not call so often.

In spite of Alice's angry insistence to herself that, after all, this
could not be the case--that the man _knew_ she understood he still loved
Billy--she could not help fearing, in the face of Arkwright's unusual
absence, that it might yet be true. When, therefore, he finally did
appear, only to become at once obviously embarrassed in her presence,
her fears instantly became convictions. It was true, then. The man did
believe she cared for him, and he had been trying to teach her--to save
her.

To teach her! To save her, indeed! Very well, he should see! And
forthwith, from that moment, Alice Greggory's chief reason for living
became to prove t