nds. She may be studying. She may be working.
Whatever she is doing, you nor I have no reason to let an evil thought
about her stay with us for a moment."

For several minutes they said nothing. Then Mrs. Gallant broke the
silence.

"Tell me," she said, "was that Miss Carrillo's automobile that brought
her here, Sunday?"

"Oh, mother!" he exclaimed, exasperated.

"I'm sorry, John. I only thought you might tell me."

"I don't know and I don't care," he said, coming to his feet. "Mother,
this is all foolishness--rank foolishness. Here you and I sit quarreling
over things that are none of our business. I never thought it of you. I
never thought you could think such things, let alone breathe a word
about them. I never----"

"John, John," said Mrs. Gallant, pleadingly, "don't, don't!"

"I can't believe it's you," he said, angrily. "Some one has been putting
these infernal thoughts into your head--some gossiping, scandal-loving,
evil-thinking----"

"My boy!"

He stopped and the anger that had surged so swiftly slowly left
him--left him ashamed that he had given way to his temper, ashamed that
he had spoken so sharply to the one he loved more than any one in the
world, and who, he knew, loved him as no one else would ever love him.

Her head was bowed in her hand, her arm resting on the side of her
chair. He went to her and dropped on his knees at her feet.

"Mother, dearest," he said, softly, "please, please don't cry. I was a
brute. I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did, but I was angry.
Please, no misunderstanding must come between us. You are everything in
the world to me, mother, and I trust you, believe in you."

"I only wanted to know--for your sake," she said.

"I know, mother, I know. That is what you have always done--thought of
me first. But, don't you see, mother, she is nothing more than a friend
to me. And she has been kind, so very kind and good, and I know she is
only the sweet, dear girl I believe her to be. If you had only been with
us when we went to her home, mother. If you only knew her as I know her,
and you're going to. You're going to know her and like her."

"Yes, yes, my boy. I know I will. But, John, there is so much evil in
this world, so much that we cannot understand, so many disappointments,
so many cruel things, so much wickedness, and I only think of you, my
boy--only of you. I could not bear to have you care for some one and
then be----"

"I know, mother, dearest, I k