avy with the great pity that now welled up in
his heart. He knew whom she meant; but he knew, too, that, sweet and
pretty and lovable as she was, and no doubt capable of winning the
affections of a mounted policeman or a millionaire, she had not the
slightest chance in the world of marrying the handsome, the good, the
wise, the peerless and high-born Mr. Perkins. "St! st! st!" he mourned.
He sighed, leaned against the side of the shelf, propped his yellow head
on a big hand, and watched her sadly.

"Mrs. Algernon Godfrey Perkins!"--Cis spoke as if in an ecstatic dream.
"A. G. P.! _Oh_, but they're lovely initials!"

He was glad when she leaned her head on her knees again, for then she
could not see his face. "Gee!" he murmured.

"It was you brought him to me!" went on Cis. "I'll never forget that,
Johnnie! It means my whole life! Just think of that! A whole, long,
wonderful life with _him_!"

"Aw, but, Cis! Are y' sure y' got a chance?"--his voice was tender with
sorrowful concern.

She sat up. "Johnnie Smith, what're you talking about?" she demanded. "A
_chance_! Why, he loves me! He says so! Over and over and over! And look
here!" She thrust a finger under the collar of her dress and drew out a
length of white ribbon, narrow and shining. Mid-way of it, playing along
the satin, was a ring--a gold ring set all the way round with tiny,
white, glistening stones. "Mr. Perkins, he gave me this," she added, and
caught the ring to her lips.

"Mrs. Perkins!" Now his eyes were big with the wonder of it all! That
Waldorf-Astoria apartment--Cis was to live in it! There could no longer
be any doubt of it. The ring was solid proof. Almost reverently he
reached to take it in his fingers. "The same as Aladdin loved the
Princess!" he said slowly.

Cis gave a toss of her brown head. "Oh, Aladdin!" she scoffed. "This is
really and truly, Johnnie! There's no make-believe about it!"

What all this meant to her, to Mr. Perkins, and to him, he realized
then. But he could not be happy over it because of a new fear. "Oh,
Cis!" he cried, leaning close to speak low. "Don't y' know what's goin'
t' happen? If y' tell Big Tom 'bout this, he'll kill y'! And, oh! oh!
He'll kill _him_! Mister Perkins!"

"Sh! Sh!" She put an arm about him. "It's going to be all right! Who'll
tell Big Tom? Don't you worry. _I_ don't. I'm not his daughter. Mr.
Perkins is going to find me a guardian. It'll be a lady, I think. Anyhow
then I'll do just what the