rther
part in the conversation with this extraordinary and apparently
unprincipled young man.

"Playing regularly, you know. If I hadn't been a fool I'd have stuck to
that, but I got bitten with chemi."

"With what?" asked Nora, over her shoulder.

"Chemin de fer. Never heard of it? I got in the habit of going to
Thornton's. I suppose you never heard of him either. He keeps a gambling
hell. Gives you a slap-up supper for nothing, as much pop as you can
drink, and cashes your checks like a bird. The result is, I've lost
every bob I had and then Thornton sued me on a check I'd given him. The
governor forked out, but he says I've got to go to Canada. I'm never
going to gamble again, I can tell you that."

"Oh, well, that's something," murmured Nora cheerfully.

"You can't make money at chemi," went on Hornby, relapsing once more
into gloom; "the _cagnotte's_ bound to clear you out in the end. When I
come back I'm going to stick to bridge. There are always plenty of mugs
about, and if you have a good head for cards, you can't help making an
income out of it."

"But I thought you said you were never going----" began Miss Pringle,
but, thinking better of it, abandoned her sentence in mid-air.

"Here is your letter," said Nora, holding it out to him.

"Thanks, awfully. I daresay I shan't want it, you know. I expect I shall
get offered a job the moment I land, but there's no harm having it. I'll
be getting along."

"Good-by, then, and good luck."

"Good-by," he said, shaking hands with Nora and Miss Pringle.

"Nora, why don't you go out to Canada?" said Miss Pringle thoughtfully,
as soon as the door had closed after young Hornby. "Now your brother has
a farm of his own, I should think----"

"My brother's married," interrupted Nora quickly. "He married four years
ago."

"You never told me."

"I couldn't."

"Why? Isn't his wife--isn't his wife nice?"

"She was a waitress at a scrubby little hotel in Winnipeg."

"What _are_ you going to do then?"

"I? I'm going to look out for another situation."

Miss Pringle shook her head sadly.

"Well, I must be going. Mrs. Hubbard will be back from her drive by this
time. She's sure to have you in for tea or something before you go.
She's always been quite fond of you. At any rate, I'll see you again, of
course."

"Oh, yes, indeed."

Nora was thankful to be alone once more. She wanted to think it all out.
What a day it had been. Starting with such high hopes to e