en Arkwright (except on the stage of the Boston Opera
House) since the day he had left her presence in white-faced, stony-eyed
misery after declaring his love for her, and learning of her engagement
to Bertram. Since then, she knew, he had been much with his old friend,
Alice Greggory. She did not believe, should she see him now, that he
would be either white-faced, or stony-eyed. His heart, she was sure,
had gone where it ought to have gone in the first place--to Alice. Such
being, in her opinion, the case, she longed to get the embarrassment of
a first meeting between themselves over with, for, after that, she
was sure, their old friendship could be renewed, and she would be in a
position to further this pretty love affair between him and Alice. Very
decidedly, therefore, Billy wished to meet Arkwright. Very pleased,
consequently, was she when, one day, coming into the living-room at the
Annex, she found the man sitting by the fire.

Arkwright was on his feet at once.

"Miss--Mrs. H--Henshaw," he stammered

"Oh, Mr. Arkwright," she cried, with just a shade of nervousness in her
voice as she advanced, her hand outstretched. "I'm glad to see you."

"Thank you. I wanted to see Miss Greggory," he murmured. Then, as
the unconscious rudeness of his reply dawned on him, he made matters
infinitely worse by an attempted apology. "That is, I mean--I didn't
mean--" he began to stammer miserably.

Some girls might have tossed the floundering man a straw in the shape of
a light laugh intended to turn aside all embarrassment--but not Billy.
Billy held out a frankly helping hand that was meant to set the man
squarely on his feet at her side.

"Mr. Arkwright, don't, please," she begged earnestly. "You and I don't
need to beat about the bush. I _am_ glad to see you, and I hope you're
glad to see me. We're going to be the best of friends from now on, I'm
sure; and some day, soon, you're going to bring Alice to see me, and
we'll have some music. I left her up-stairs. She'll be down at once,
I dare say--I met Rosa going up with your card. Good-by," she finished
with a bright smile, as she turned and walked rapidly from the room.

Outside, on the steps, Billy drew a long breath.

"There," she whispered; "that's over--and well over!" The next minute
she frowned vexedly. She had missed her glove. "Never mind! I sha'n't go
back in there for it now, anyway," she decided.

In the living-room, five minutes later, Alice Greggory found o