we are
attracted toward those whom Heaven intended for us, and if this be so he
would not have been attracted toward Faynie if he were intended for me."

"We will not argue the matter, Claire, for we shall never agree,"
declared her mother, adding: "I shall always be opposed to Mr. Armstrong
meeting Faynie or ever hearing one word concerning the existence of such
a person. If he should, mind, I predict harm will come of it."

Those were the words that rang in Claire's ears long after she retired
to her room.

"I shall tell Faynie that we had a caller last evening and how handsome
he was; but I shall take good care to follow mamma's advice and never
let her know his name," the girl ruminated.

She was only a young girl, full of girlish enthusiasm, and it was
certainly beyond human expectation to believe she could refrain from
mentioning that much to Faynie the next morning.

Faynie laid a little white hand on Claire's nut-brown head.

"Take care not to fall too deeply in love with this handsome stranger,"
she said, "for handsome men are not always good and true as they seem."

"I am sure this gentleman is," declared impulsive Claire emphatically.
"He has the deepest, richest, mellowest voice I ever heard, and such
eyes--wine dark eyes--those are the only words which seem to express
what they are like--and when he takes your hand and looks down into your
face, the hand he holds so lightly tingles from the finger tips straight
to your heart."

"I am afraid he has been holding your hand, Claire. Ah, take
care--beware!" warned Faynie.

During the fortnight that followed Kendale was a constant visitor at the
palatial Fairfax home.

And those two weeks changed the whole after current of Claire's life, as
Faynie observed with wonder. It was certainly evident the girl was
deeply in love, and Faynie trembled for her, for love would bring to
such natures as hers the greatest peace or the bitterest sorrow.

She wondered if her stepmother saw how affairs were drifting.

If it had not been that she and her stepmother were always at
cross-purposes with each other, she would have gone to her and warned
her that it was dangerous to throw this handsome young man so often into
Claire's society, unless she could readily see that he was pleased with
the girl--realizing that poor Claire had a sad drawback in her lameness
and that many would seek her society because she was bright and witty,
who would never dream of asking her h