she caught his arm and detained him.

"Walter, please come back and finish your dinner. When I take all the
trouble to cook it for you, I think you might at least----"

"Now, now!" he said. "That isn't what you're up to. You don't want to
make me eat; you want to make me listen."

"Well, you MUST listen!" She retained her grasp upon his arm, and
made it tighter. "Walter, please!" she entreated, her voice becoming
tremulous. "PLEASE don't make me so much trouble!"

He drew back from her as far as her hold upon him permitted, and looked
at her sharply. "Look here!" he said. "I get you, all right! What's the
matter of Alice GOIN' to that party by herself?"

"She just CAN'T!"

"Why not?"

"It makes things too MEAN for her, Walter. All the other girls have
somebody to depend on after they get there."

"Well, why doesn't she have somebody?" he asked, testily. "Somebody
besides ME, I mean! Why hasn't somebody asked her to go? She ought to be
THAT popular, anyhow, I sh'd think--she TRIES enough!"

"I don't understand how you can be so hard," his mother wailed, huskily.
"You know why they don't run after her the way they do the other girls
she goes with, Walter. It's because we're poor, and she hasn't got any
background.

"'Background?'" Walter repeated. "'Background?' What kind of talk is
that?"

"You WILL go with her to-night, Walter?" his mother pleaded, not
stopping to enlighten him. "You don't understand how hard things are for
her and how brave she is about them, or you COULDN'T be so selfish! It'd
be more than I can bear to see her disappointed to-night! She went clear
out to Belleview Park this afternoon, Walter, and spent hours and hours
picking violets to wear. You WILL----"

Walter's heart was not iron, and the episode of the violets may have
reached it. "Oh, BLUB!" he said, and flung his soft hat violently at the
wall.

His mother beamed with delight. "THAT'S a good boy, darling! You'll
never be sorry you----"

"Cut it out," he requested. "If I take her, will you pay for a taxi?"

"Oh, Walter!" And again Mrs. Adams showed distress. "Couldn't you?"

"No, I couldn't; I'm not goin' to throw away my good money like that,
and you can't tell what time o' night it'll be before she's willin' to
come home. What's the matter you payin' for one?"

"I haven't any money."

"Well, father----"

She shook her head dolefully. "I got some from him this morning, and
I can't bother him for any more; it upsets hi