any other man
try to go the least bit too far--"As Fanny doubtless does with Joe," she
suddenly added to herself. For a moment she walked viciously. Then she
thought again of Dwight. He had told her she really had voice enough
with which to go on the stage if she chose.

"Though I hope you won't," he had added.

"Why not?" she had asked. In reply he had hinted at perils that made it
all sound rather thrilling.

"Joe wouldn't like it," Dwight had said.

"I might sing in concerts--"

"Joe wouldn't like it."

"Oh, bother Joe!"

Dwight had smiled a bit. "I wonder what you will do," he had said, "if
Joe flivvers!"

"If he what?"

"Flivvers--drops back and makes money--turns to those other friends of
his."

"He won't do that." But her voice had been tense, for the intimate
feeling in Dwight's tone had made her a bit uneasy.

"Well," he had told her in a low voice, "I'm a friend of Joe's, you
know, and I don't propose to play the cad. But if you and Joe ever
should have a break--don't drop me, too. Do you understand?"

She had hesitated a moment upon just how to answer. Her heart had
pounded rapidly.

"That isn't going to happen," she had told him gravely.

"Sure of that?"

"Yes, and you would be--if you understood me better."

"How?"

"I'm in love with that husband of mine for life," she had informed him
impressively.

"You're very old-fashioned," he had smiled.

"Not at all!"

"Suppose I understand you better than you do yourself?"

She had glanced at him, seen the gleam in his eyes as he had drawn
closer. And then very suddenly she had found it hard to breathe. What
to say to stop him?

"At this moment," she had nearly gasped, "you appear to me so
very--fat!"

That had bowled him over--naturally! In the next few moments the
atmosphere had become chilly and depressed, and with a sudden rush of
shame the certainty had grown upon her that she had made a fool of
herself, that he had meant to do nothing at all. And from blushing
furiously she had turned a little white, and had said to him:

"Please forgive me. I didn't mean that. I was--just a silly fool.
Let's go on with my lesson."

"Now that I've learned mine, you mean."

And then regaining control of herself she had turned upon him quickly:

"Oh, be sensible, for goodness' sake! How are you and I to be friends
if you act like this, you silly boy? You ought to be ashamed of
yourself!"

So she had got out of that all right, and had fel