of those sudden smiles which his friends loved so well irradiated
Peter's face.

"Keep on the way you're going, my son," he said, seizing the boy's hand,
a slight tremble in his voice, "and you'll get a dozen of them."

"How?" The boy's eyes were wide in wonderment.

"By being yourself. Don't let go of your ideals no matter what Minott
or anybody else says. Let him go his way and do you keep on in yours.
Don't... but I can't talk here. Come and see me. I mean it."

Breen's eyes glistened. "When?"

"To-morrow night, at my rooms. Here's my card. And you, too, Mr.
Minott--glad to see both of you." Garry has just joined them.

"Thanks awfully," answered Minott. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Grayson, but I'm
booked for a supper at the Magnolia. Lot of the fellows want to whoop
up this--" and he held the finger bearing the ring within an inch of
Peter's nose. "And they want you, too, Jack."

"No, please let me have him," Peter urged. Minott, I could see, he did
not want; Breen he was determined to have.

"I would love to come, sir, and it's very kind of you to ask me. There's
to be a dance at my uncle's tomorrow night, though I reckon I can be
excused. Would you--would you come to see me instead? I want you to see
my father's portrait. It's not you, and yet it's like you when you turn
your head; and there are some other things. I'd like--" Here the boy
stopped.

Peter considered for a moment. Calling at the house of a man he did not
know, even to continue the acquaintance of so charming a young fellow
as his nephew, was not one of the things punctilious Mr.
Grayson--punctilious as to forms of etiquette--was accustomed to do. The
young man read his thoughts and added quickly:

"Of course I'll do just as you say, but if you only would come we will
be entirely alone and won't see anybody else in the house."

"But couldn't you possibly come to me?" Peter urged. The fact that young
Breen had a suite of rooms so sequestered as to be beyond the reach
even of a dance, altered the situation to some extent, but he was still
undecided. "I live all alone when my sister is not with me, and I, too,
have many things I am sure would interest you. Say you'll come now--I
shall expect you, shall I not?"

The boy hesitated. "You may not know exactly what I mean," he said
slowly. "Maybe you can't understand, for everybody about here seems to
love you, and you must have lots of friends. The fact is, I feel out of
everything. I get pretty lone