"

Laura nodded her head.

"Yes," she answered, listlessly, "I suppose that's true."

"You said Jadwin struck you as being a kindly man, a generous man. He's
just that, and that charitable! You know he has a Sunday-school over on
the West Side, a Sunday-school for mission children, and I do believe
he's more interested in that than in his business. He wants to make it
the biggest Sunday-school in Chicago. It's an ambition of his. I don't
want you to think that he's good in a goody-goody way, because he's
not. Laura," she exclaimed, "he's a fine man. I didn't intend to brag
him up to you, because I wanted you to like him. But no one knows--as I
say--no one knows Curtis Jadwin better than Charlie and I, and we just
_love_ him. The kindliest, biggest-hearted fellow--oh, well, you'll
know him for yourself, and then you'll see. He passes the plate in our
church."

"Dr. Wendell's church?" asked Laura.

"Yes you know--the Second Presbyterian."

"I'm Episcopalian myself," observed Laura, still thoughtfully gazing
into the fire.

"I know, I know. But Jadwin isn't the blue-nosed sort. And now see
here, Laura, I want to tell you. J.--that's what Charlie and I call
Jadwin--J. was talking to us the other day about supporting a ward in
the Children's Hospital for the children of his Sunday-school that get
hurt or sick. You see he has nearly eight hundred boys and girls in his
school, and there's not a week passes that he don't hear of some one of
them who has been hurt or taken sick. And he wants to start a ward at
the Children's Hospital, that can take care of them. He says he wants
to get other people interested, too, and so he wants to start a
contribution. He says he'll double any amount that's raised in the next
six months--that is, if there's two thousand raised, he'll make it four
thousand; understand? And so Charlie and I and the Gretrys are going to
get up an amateur play--a charity affair--and raise as much money as we
can. J. thinks it's a good idea, and--here's the point--we were talking
about it coming home in the carriage, and J. said he wondered if that
Miss Dearborn wouldn't take part. And we are all wild to have you. You
know you do that sort of thing so well. Now don't say yes or no
to-night. You sleep over it. J. is crazy to have you in it."

"I'd love to do it," answered Laura. "But I would have to see--it takes
so long to get settled, and there's so much to do about a big house
like ours, I might not ha