nough. He surely would not forgive her for this exploit. Then the humor
of the situation dawned upon her. Bab stuffed her handkerchief into her
mouth so that they might not hear her giggles.

All at once she ceased laughing and sat up very straight.

"Nathan Bonner called on me at my office to-day. It was of that that I
wished to speak with you, and that is why I asked the girls to leave the
room." Mr. Presby was speaking.

"Did he wish to help you?"

"He intimated something of the sort. What he did want was permission to
call on Olive."

"Oh!" The exclamation escaped Mrs. Presby unwittingly.

"And you told him----?"

"No. Not with my permission. Bonner is a very rich man, Jane--and an
unscrupulous one I am informed. I know little more about him, except
that he has come to be an important figure on the Board of Trade. His
rise has been phenomenal. I don't care for the man, however. I do not
consider him the sort of man that Olive would like."

"You wish me to speak with her upon the subject?" asked Aunt Jane.

"No!" The word came out with explosive force. "The incident is closed. I
am not so base as to consider for a moment the idea of my daughter
making a rich alliance some day for the sake of retrieving our financial
affairs. I am simply confiding the facts to you, that you may be
governed accordingly."

Jane Presby rose, and, going over to her husband, kissed him tenderly on
the forehead.

"You are a noble man, Richard."

"Has it taken you all these years to find that out?" retorted Mr. Presby
testily.

"I have always known it," answered Mrs. Presby simply.

"What do you know about this Jack Howard's attentions to Olive?" he
demanded sharply.

"They are childhood friends. Olive is still our baby, Richard. She has
no thought of leaving us, I am sure. At least not in a long, long time."

Barbara, realizing that she was listening to a family conference, had
suddenly shrunk back further into the corridor. She still could hear
their voices. She retired further into the passage. Now their voices
reached her ears in a confused murmur. The girl crouched down, waiting.
The words of Mr. Presby had not made a very great impression on her,
except that he had objected to one Nathan Bonner calling on his
daughter. Who Nathan Bonner was Bab did not know.

Words, clear and distinct, spoken by Richard Presby, now reached Barbara
plainly. He was speaking of another matter, one that was near to the
heart of the "A