But please
don't lose faith in me, yet. Give me one or two more chances."

Mr. Hepworth looked kindly into Patty's earnest eyes.

"Don't take this thing too seriously," he said.

"But I want to take it seriously. You think I'm a child,--a butterfly. I
assure you I am neither."

"I think you're adorable, whatever you are!" was on the tip of Gilbert
Hepworth's tongue; but he did not say it.

Though he cared more for Patty than for anything on earth, he had vowed
to himself the girl should never know it. He was thirty-five, and Patty
but eighteen, and he knew that was too great a discrepancy in years for
him ever to hope to win her affections.

So he contented himself with an occasional evening call, or once in a
while dropping in at tea time, resolved never to show to Patty herself
the high regard he had for her.

She had told him of her various unsuccessful attempts at "earning her
living," and he deeply regretted that he had been the means of bringing
about the situation.

He did not share Mr. Fairfield's opinion that the experience was a good
one for Patty, and would broaden her views of humanity in general, and
teach her a few worth-while lessons.

"Please give up the notion," he urged, after they had talked the matter
over.

"Indeed I won't," returned Patty. "At least, not until I've proved to my
own satisfaction that my theories are wrong. And I don't think yet that
they are. I still believe I can earn fifteen dollars a week, without
having had special training for any work. Surely I ought to have time to
prove myself right."

"Yes, you ought to have time," said Mr. Hepworth, gently, "but you ought
not to do it at all. It's an absurd proposition, the whole thing. And as
I, unfortunately, brought it about, I want to ask you, please, to drop
it."

"No, sir!" said Patty, gravely, but wagging a roguish forefinger at him;
"people can't undo their mistakes so easily. If, as you say, you brought
about this painful situation, then you must sit patiently by and watch me
as I flounder about in the various sloughs of despond."

"Oh, Patty, don't! Please drop it all,--for my sake!"

Patty looked up in surprise at his earnest tones, but she only laughed
gaily, and said:

"Nixy! Not I! Not by no means! But I'll give in to this extent. I'll
agree not to make more than three more attempts. If I can't succeed in
three more efforts, I'll give up the game, and confess myself a butterfly
and an idiot."

"The only