oice had penetrated to his apartment, and in perfect agony lest she
should surmise it. However, upon Miss Archer's assuring him that they
would be very glad of his company, he ventured to enter. But the door
still weighed upon his mind, for after carefully closing it, he stood
and stared at it with a very perplexed face.

"Never saw such a lively door, you know!" he repeated, finally sitting
down on the piano-stool, and folding both arms across one knee, letting
a hand droop dismally on either side, while he looked alternately at
Miss Archer, Nattie, and the part of the room mentioned, at which the
former laughed, and then, with the kind intention of drawing his mind
from the subject of his forced appearance, suggested a game of cards.

"Then we shall have to have one more person, shall we not?" Nattie
asked, at this proposition.

"It would be better," replied Miss Archer. "Let me see--Mrs. Simonson
does not play--"

"Mr. Norton does!" interrupted Quimby, forgetting the door, in his
eagerness to be of service. "I--I would willingly ask him to join us, if
you will allow me!"

"That queer young artist who lodges here, you mean?" inquired Miss
Archer.

"Oh! But he is a dreadful Bohemian!" commented Nattie, distrustfully,
before Quimby could reply.

"Is he?" laughed Miss Archer. "Then ask him in by all means! I am
something of a Bohemian myself, and shall be delighted to meet a kindred
soul! I do not know as I have ever observed the gentleman particularly,
but if I remember rightly, he wears his hair very closely cropped, and
is not a model of beauty?"

"But he is just as nice a fellow as if he was handsome outside!" said
Quimby earnestly, doubtless aware of his own shortcomings in the Adonis
line. "He is a little queer to be sure, doesn't believe in love or
sentiment or anything of that sort, you know, and he says he wears his
hair cropped close because people have a general idea that artists are
long-haired, lackadaisical fellows,--not to say untidy, you know,--and
he is determined that no one shall be able to say it of him!"

Miss Archer was much amused at this description.

"He certainly is an odd genius, and decidedly worth knowing. Bring him
in, I beg of you," she said.

But Quimby hesitated and glanced at Nattie.

"He is not very unconventional, I--I do not think he will shock you very
much if you do not get him at it, you know!" he said to her
apologetically.

"Oh! I am not at all alarmed!" said Nat