him it represented, beauty,
adventure and freedom."

Dorothy sighed.

"Dear me, Lance, I was afraid at the time you might take Mr. Fenton's
speech personally! What are you planning to do in quest of beauty,
freedom and adventure?"

Dorothy's expression was worried but amused, and Lance flushed. Upon
only one subject was he particularly sensitive, his devotion to music
and his own lack of any knowledge of it.

In a measure his sister could surmise something of what he had in
mind.

"My effort was not to be a very serious one, Dot," he said slowly; "at
least I did not feel it go until after my talk with father. He seems
to have gone up in the air. I don't want to spend next winter in
Westhaven. I simply can not endure any longer never having music
lessons from any one who knows how to teach and not even hearing any
music worth listening to."

Lance set his teeth.

"I don't ask anyone to understand, you can't if you try."

Dorothy's blue eyes grew more troubled.

"I know, Lance, but I do try," she returned. "And I would give
anything, make any sacrifice I knew how to make if father were willing
or had the money to send you to New York to study. But he is not
willing and he has not the money."

"I know, that is just it. I don't mean to ask him for money. I have
been writing letters to people in New York and trying to get work and
now I have succeeded in landing something that will give me enough to
live on, so you won't have to worry."

"But, Lance, there is school. You are only fifteen and you can't stop
school, it is even against the law. You must have pretended you were
older."

"I can go to school at night when I have finished working; I explained
this to father," Lance argued patiently.

"What about the music? When will you have money or time for lessons?"
Tory interrupted, not intending to intrude upon the discussion, but in
her interest forgetting her resolution.

A little less self-confident Lance appeared.

"Honestly, I don't know, Tory," he replied. "I think I feel that if
once I get where music is, the opportunity will come to me as rain and
sunshine come to trees and the things that need them. Gee whiz, I am
talking like a poet or a girl! Father would not think this line of
conversation convincing. You'll think up a better line of argument,
won't you Dorothy? Then when your time comes and you want something a
whole lot I'll do my best for you."

"But, Lance, I--" Dorothy hesitated--"I don