"The more I think of it, the more remarkable the resemblance gets," he
persisted, ignoring her confessions.

"That doesn't make it any easier, Amzi; please don't speak of that
again."

She tossed the book on the table, as though dismissing a disagreeable
subject.

"Well," she said, "about going?"

"You're not going," he replied with decision. "I won't let you go. I
don't know how we're going to work it all out, but it won't be so bad.
The girls have got to take it."

She caught a gleam of humor in his eye. The displeasure of his other
sisters at her return clearly had no terrors for him. It may have been
that she herself shared his pleasure in the thought of their
discomfiture. She crossed the hall, wandering aimlessly about, while he
waited and wondered. When she returned she said with the brisk manner of
one given to quick decisions:--

"I'm going to stay, Amzi. But let us understand now that if I'm a
trouble to you, or the rest of them make you uncomfortable, I'll clear
out and go to the hotel, or set up a house of my own. So don't be silly
about it. I'm a practical person and can take care of myself. I'm not on
your hands, you know, financially speaking or any other way."

"Thunder! No!"

This was the first time she had touched upon money matters. While she
turned the leaves of the album, the clumsy baggage-men had pounded
laboriously up the back stairs with her trunks, emphasizing the
prosperity of which her visible apparel spoke. He was not without an
acute curiosity as to the state of her fortunes. Lois had always been a
luxurious person, but she was, unaccountably, the only one of his
sisters who had never asked him for money. He had made what they called
"advances" to all of them and these had increased as their fortunes
dwindled. There was something bafflingly mysterious here. It was a fair
assumption that Jack Holton had spent Lois's money long ago, and the
fact that she had floated home with her flags flying and had just
announced her ability to set up an establishment for herself was
disquieting rather than reassuring. He was ashamed of his fears, but it
was against reason that she should have escaped the clutches of a
worthless blackguard like Jack Holton with any of her patrimony.

Now that she had announced her determination to remain her spirits rose
buoyantly. The thought of meeting Phil had shaken her; and yet that had
been but a moment's fleeting shadow, as from a stray cloud wandering