her lunch she offered, and shivered in their thin
clothes by the wretched fire in a shed provided for their leisure time.

"Oh, Sandy, Sandy," murmured Cynthia as she looked about, "I'll help
you get them away from here some day."

A new fear and hate of Crothers grew in her heart as she impotently
suffered for the children, but Crothers was as gentle and kind to her
as any wise and considerate father could have been. He was patient
with her bungling and errors; he did not turn her off to his clerks for
instruction, he spent his own time upon her. Every moment that he was
near her Cynthia trembled, and when he accidentally touched her she
recoiled sharply. Crothers noticed this, and at first it angered him;
then caused him much amusement. Unconsciously the girl was fanning
into sudden and violent flame that which might have slumbered on for
months. Before the end of the first week Crothers had noticed how
lovely Cynthia's shining braids were as they twined around her pretty,
bent head. His eyes grew thoughtful as he noted the lines of the
softly rounded shoulders and dainty girlish bosom. The little dent in
the back of the slim neck was like a dimple and even the small
roughened hands were shapely and beautiful.

"How old are you, little miss?" Crothers asked her the third day of her
business life, and Cynthia fearing that her youth might prove an
obstacle answered blindly:

"Going on--fourteen!" She looked more, for her South, in spite of all
her meagre upbringing, had developed her rapidly. Crothers smiled
indulgently.

When Saturday night came four dollars was handed to Cynthia by Crothers
himself.

"It was to be three," she said, holding the money toward him. He took
the fingers in his, closed them over the bills, and said:

"Just a little present for a nice little girl who has tried so hard to
be good."

Cynthia drew back and her eyes flashed dangerously.

"I do not want it!" she said quickly, and flung a dollar on the desk.
"I only want what is mine!" After she had gone Crothers swore a little;
then laughed. The laugh was more evil than the oath, but no one was
there to hear.

Cynthia had no one to speak to about her fear and loathing of Crothers.
Besides, she had entered upon her career and dared not turn back. She
did not understand herself, nor the man who was her employer; she did
not understand conditions nor the yearnings that possessed her; she
only knew that she must fight against