ects and persons than was necessary to
avoid accidents. On seeing him she started perceptibly, and forthwith
became a striking study in red. She continued to blush so intensely
after he had passed that, catching sight of her crimson cheeks in a shop
window, she turned down a side street and took a quieter way home.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about Arthur Burton.
Fortunately there does not need to be anything remarkable about young
men to induce very charming girls to fall in love with them. He was just
a good-looking fellow, with agreeable manners and average opinions. He
was regarded as a very promising young man, and was quite a favorite
among the young ladies. If he noticed Maud's confusion on meeting him,
he certainly did not think of associating it in any way with himself.
For although they had been acquaintances these many years, and belonged
to the same social set, he had never entertained the first sentimental
fancy concerning her. So far as she had impressed him at all, it was as
a thoroughly nice girl, of a good family, not bad-looking, but rather
dull in society, and with very little facility in conversation; at least
he had always found it hard to talk with her.

Ten days or a fortnight after Lucy Merritt's departure there was a
little party at Ella Perry's, and both Arthur Burton and Maud were
present. It was the custom of the place for the young men to escort
the girls home after evening entertainments, and when the couples were
rightly assorted, the walk home was often the most agreeable part of the
evening. Although they were not engaged, Arthur imagined that he was in
love with Ella Perry, and she had grown into the habit of looking
upon him as her particular knight. Towards the end of the evening he
jestingly asked her whom he should go home with, since he could not that
evening be her escort.

"Maud Elliott," promptly suggested Ella, selecting the girl of those
present in her opinion least likely to prove a diverting companion. So
it chanced that Arthur offered his company to Maud.

It struck him, as she came downstairs with her wraps on, that she
was looking remarkably pale. She had worn a becoming color during the
evening, but she seemed to have lost it in the dressing-room. As they
walked away from the house Arthur began, to the best of his ability, to
make himself agreeable, but with very poor success. Not only was Maud,
as usual, a feeble contributor of original matter, but her