y do you keep me dansing on the stepps before
them gurls at the windows? Was it that stuckup Saint, Miss Brooks,
that you were afraid of, my deer? Oh, you faithless trater! Wait till
I ketch you! I'll tear your eyes out and hern!"

It did not require great penetration for Herbert to be instantly
convinced that the writer of this vulgar epistle and the owner of the
unknown voice were two very different individuals. The note was
evidently a trick. A suspicion of its perpetrators flashed upon him.

"Whoever the woman was, it was not she who wrote the note," he said
positively. "Somebody must have seen her at the door. I remember now
that those girls--your neighbors--were watching me from their window
when I came out. Depend upon it, that letter comes from them."

Cherry's eyes opened widely with a sudden childlike perception, and
then shyly dropped. "Yes," she said slowly; "they DID watch you. They
know it, for it was they who made it the talk of the neighborhood, and
that's how it came to mother's ears." She stopped, and, with a
frightened look, stepped back towards the door again.

"Then THAT was why your mother"--

"Oh yes," interrupted Cherry quickly. "That was why I went over to
Oakland, and why mother forbade my walking with you again, and why she
had a talk with friends about your conduct, and why she came near
telling Mr. Carstone all about it until I stopped her." She checked
herself--he could hardly believe his eyes--the pale, nun-like girl was
absolutely blushing.

"I thank you, Miss Brooks," he said gravely, "for your thoughtfulness,
although I hope I could have still proven my innocence to Mr. Carstone,
even if some unknown woman tried my door by mistake, and was seen doing
it. But I am pained to think that YOU could have believed me capable
of so wanton and absurd an impropriety--and such a gross disrespect to
your mother's house."

"But," said Cherry with childlike naivete, "you know YOU don't think
anything of such things, and that's what I told mother."

"You told your mother THAT?"

"Oh yes--I told her Tappington says it's quite common with young men.
Please don't laugh--for it's very dreadful. Tappington didn't laugh
when he told it to me as a warning. He was shocked."

"But, my dear Miss Brooks"--

"There--now you're angry--and that's as bad. Are you sure you didn't
know that woman?"

"Positive!"

"Yet you seemed very anxious just now that she should wait till you
opene