tted to himself how foolish his early passion
had been, for it was at least sincere and there could have been no
sacrifice, at one time, that he would not have willingly made for her
sake. His later sentiment for her had been a disgracing and a
disgraceful thing, and he was glad to think of this boyish love, since
it carried him back to a time before he had wrought only misery for
himself. She misunderstood his reticence, she could not realize that she
had lost the power that had once been hers.

"What a mistake I made, Jack!" she cried, and stretched out her hands
toward him.

He fell back a step.

"Nonsense!" he said. He glanced sharply at her.

"How stupid you are!" she exclaimed.

She half rose from her chair with her hands still extended toward him.
For a moment he met her glance, and then, disgusted and ashamed,
withdrew his eyes from hers.

Evelyn sank back in her chair, and her face turned white and she covered
it with her hands. North was the first to break the silence.

"We would both of us better forget this," he said quietly.

She rose and stood at his side. The color had returned to her cheeks.

"What a fool you are, John North!" she jeered softly. "And I might have
made the tragic mistake of really caring for you!" She gave a little
shiver of dismay, and then after a moment's tense silence: "What a boy
you are,--almost as much of a boy as when we used to play together."

"I think there is nothing more to say, Evelyn," North said shortly. "It
is growing late. You must not be seen leaving here!"

She laughed.

"Oh, it would take a great deal to compromise me; though if Marsh ever
finds out that I have been here he'll be ready to kill me!" But she
still lingered, still seemed to invite.

North was silent.

"You must be in love, Jack! You see, I'll not grant that you are the
saint you'd have me think you! Yes, you are in love!" for he colored
angrily at her words. "Is it--"

He interrupted her harshly.

"Don't speak her name!"

"Then it is true! I'd heard that you were, but I did not believe it!
Yes, you are right, we must forget that I came here to-day."

While she was speaking she had moved toward the door, and instinctively
he had stepped past her to open it. When he turned with his hand on the
knob, it brought them again face to face. The smile had left her lips,
they were mere delicate lines of color. She raised herself on tiptoe and
her face, gray-white, was very close to his.

"