e to him.

"My dear sister," he said, "have you considered or do you consider
Frank in your calculations? and if so, where does he come in, may I
ask?"

Alice's blue eyes assumed an expression like unto a pansy, and her face
the placidity of a mill-pond as she answered, "I had quite forgotten his
existence!"

CHAPTER XL

"YES OR NO"

A woman's heart, as transitory as the wind, as evanescent as the
rainbow, and as tender as spring violets, is hard to portray with pen,
and for that reason the summer-day nature of Alice Page is but faintly
outlined. When on the morning of her departure from Boston she stood
beside the train exchanging the usual good-by words with her brother,
she was surprised at being joined by Blanch and Frank. The former
brought her a tasty basket of lunch, sent with her mother's compliments,
and the latter an elaborate bouquet of flowers.

"I want to kiss you good-by," said Blanch, and when the two had embraced
and Frank had uttered a suitable speech, Alice kissed her brother and
took her seat. No one apparently noticed that Frank was not on the
platform when the train started, and when it was well under way Alice
was astonished to see him enter the car. She was, as may be expected,
feeling rather blue, and the sight of his cheerful face was a pleasant
surprise.

"You will not object to my company home, will you?" he asked at once; "I
thought you might be lonesome, and as I have not had a chance to talk to
you since you came to Boston, I decided to go up with you. I can come
back on the night train," he added rather apologetically, "or if you
prefer to ride alone, I can get off at the next station."

"Oh, no, I am very glad of your company," she replied sincerely, "and it
was good of you to think of it. It is a long ride and I have had such a
nice time I should have been disconsolate. You did not know," she added
archly, "that one reason I came to Boston was to look at rents. Bert
wants us to come here and keep house for him, Aunt Susan and me."

"And are you going to do it?" put in Frank, with sudden interest; "I
hope so, for that would give me a chance to take you to the theatres."

"No, the plan is off for the present," she answered; "not but that I
would like to, but for many reasons, one of which is Aunt Susan, we
think it is not best."

Frank was a little ill at ease, and in a way did not feel certain he was
welcome. Even without his sister's advice he would not have conside