I'm able to make
friends with my working girls lots better on account of the stenography
and typewriting I know. And I may need that resource yet. I'm not at all
sure that I mean to be a teacher all my days."

"I'm very sure you'll not," said her brother, with a laughing glance,
which Roberta ignored. It was a matter of considerable amusement to her
brothers the serious way in which she had set about being independent.
They fully approved of her decision to spend her time in a way worth the
while, but when it came to planning for a lifetime--there were plenty of
reasons for skepticism as to her needing to look far ahead. Indeed, it
was well known that Roberta might have abandoned all effort long ago,
and have given any one of several extremely eligible young men the
greatly desired opportunity of taking care of her in his own way.

The pair separated at a street corner, and, as it happened, Louis heard
little more about the progress of the school rehearsals for _The Taming
of the Shrew_ until the day before its public performance--if a
performance could be called public which was to be given in so private a
place as the ballroom in the home of one of the wealthiest patrons of
the school, the audience composed wholly of invited guests, and
admission to the affair for others extremely difficult to procure on any
ground whatever.

Appearing at the close of the final rehearsal to escort his sister
home--for the hour, like that of all final rehearsals, was late--Louis
found a flushed and highly wrought Roberta delivering last instructions
even as she put on her wraps.

"Remember, Olivia," he heard her say to a tall girl wrapped in a long
cloak which evidently concealed male trappings, "I'm not going to tone
down my part one bit to fit yours. If I'm stormy you must be blustering;
if I'm furious you must be fierce. You can do it, I know."

"I certainly hope so, Miss Gray," answered a none-too-confident voice.
"But I'm simply frightened to death to play opposite you."

"Nonsense! I'll stick pins into you--metaphorically speaking," declared
Roberta. "I'll keep you up to it. Now go straight to bed--no sitting up
to talk it over with Ethel--poor child! Good-night, dear, and don't you
dare be afraid of me!"

"Are you going to play the boots, after all?" Louis queried as he and
Roberta started toward home, walking at a rapid pace, as usual after
rehearsals.

"I wish I were, if I must play some part. No, it's _Katherine_. Et