the plea was not spoken.

"Oh, what a fool I am!" she cried, fiercely. "Mr. Knowles," pointing to
the sporting-goods store, "I have made some purchases in that shop also.
I expect you to pay for those as well. Will you or will you not?"

I was hesitating, weakly. She did not wait for me to reply.

"You WILL pay for them," she declared, "and you will pay for others that
I may make. I shall buy what I please and do what I please with my money
which you are keeping from me. You will pay or take the consequences."

That was enough. "I will not pay," I said, firmly, "under any such
arrangement."

"You will NOT?"

"No, I will not."

She looked as if--Well, if she had been a man I should have expected a
blow. Her breast heaved and her fingers clenched. Then she turned and
walked toward the shop with the cricket bats in the window.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I am going to tell the man to send the things I have bought to Mayberry
by carrier and I shall tell him to send the bill to you."

"If you do I shall tell him to do nothing of the kind. Miss Morley, I
don't mean to be ungenerous or unreasonable, but--"

"Stop! Stop! Oh!" with a sobbing breath, "how I hate you!"

"I'm sorry. When I explain, as I mean to, you will understand, I think.
If you will go back to the rectory with me now--"

"I shall not go back with you. I shall never speak to you again."

"Miss Morley, be reasonable. You must go back with me. There is no other
way."

"I will not."

Here was more cheer in an already cheerful situation. She could not get
to Mayberry that night unless she rode with me. She had no money to take
her there or anywhere else. I could hardly carry her to the trap by main
strength. And the curiosity of the passers-by was more marked than ever;
two or three of them had stopped to watch us.

I don't know how it might have ended, but the end came in an unexpected
manner.

"Why, Miss Morley," cried a voice from the street behind me. "Oh, I say,
it IS you, isn't it. How do you do?"

I turned. A trim little motor car was standing there and Herbert Bayliss
was at the wheel.

"Ah, Knowles, how do you do?" said Bayliss.

I acknowledged the greeting in an embarrassed fashion. I wondered how
long he had been there and what he had heard. He alighted from the car
and shook hands with us.

"Didn't see you, Knowles, at first," he said. "Saw Miss Morley here and
thought she was alone. Was going to beg the privilege of ta