stic return to his attitude of outraged royalty. She
had made all these plans, had arranged to do this thing, and he had
not been informed. At another time Helen might have laughed at him; she
generally did when he became what she called the "Grand Bashaw." She did
not laugh now, however, but answered quietly.

"I didn't know I was going to do it until a little more than a week
ago," she said. "And I have not seen you since then."

"No, you've been too busy seeing someone else."

She lost patience for the instant. "Oh, don't, don't, don't!" she cried.
"I know who you mean, of course. You mean Ed Raymond. Don't you know why
he has been at the house so much of late? Why he and I have been so much
together? Don't you really know?"

"What? . . . No, I don't--except that you and he wanted to be together."

"And it didn't occur to you that there might be some other reason? You
forgot, I suppose, that he and I were appointed on the Ticket Committee
for this very dance?"

He had forgotten it entirely. Now he remembered perfectly the meeting
of the French Relief Society at which the appointment had been made. In
fact Helen herself had told him of it at the time. For the moment he was
staggered, but he rallied promptly.

"Committee meetings may do as an excuse for some things," he said, "but
they don't explain the rest--his calls here every other evening and--and
so on. Honest now, Helen, you know he hasn't been running after you in
this way just because he is on that committee with you; now don't you?"

They were almost at the parsonage. The light from Mr. Kendall's study
window shone through the leaves of the lilac bush behind the white
fence. Helen started to speak, but hesitated. He repeated his question.

"Now don't you?" he urged.

"Why, why, yes, I suppose I do," she said, slowly. "I do know--now. But
I didn't even think of such a thing until--until you came that evening
and told me what Issy Price said."

"You mean you didn't guess at all?"

"Well--well, perhaps I--I thought he liked to come--liked to--Oh, what
is the use of being silly! I did think he liked to call, but only as a
friend. He was jolly and lots of fun and we were both fond of music. I
enjoyed his company. I never dreamed that there was anything more than
that until you came and were so--disagreeable. And even then I didn't
believe--until to-night."

Again she hesitated. "To-night?" he repeated. "What happened to-night?"

"Oh nothing. I can'