he dust off his
shoes with his handkerchief, tightened his belt and his tie, and, having
fanned himself with his hat, found at last the courage to tread the
noisy gravel and ring the bell. On his way he had built up a dozen
eloquent conversations, but all memory of things tender and convincing
were forgotten as he ventured over the slippery floor of the parlor and
beheld at the side of Jennie a large blown-up, thin-haired male visitor
in ecclesiastical black, who was introduced to him as the Rev. Percy
Tuptale.

Intuition is a strange thing that fortunately returns to lovers,
drunkards and children in their hour of need. From the first touch of
her hand and the first look into her face Skippy knew that a crisis had
arrived. Mr. Tuptale was so placidly and professionally at ease and
Miss Tupper so nervously and unsibilantly conversational that the
conversation bubbled on like a kettle steaming in a distant room. He
nodded once or twice, Mr. Tuptale fingered a magazine while Jennie ran
on softening the s's.

"Something awful is going to happen," thought Skippy, staring at the
biblical engravings on the wall. "They're going to try to make me give
back that pin."

Miss Tupper stood up. Skippy stood up. Mr. Tuptale stood up.

"Jack, I have taken a therious, a vewy therious thep," said Miss Tupper
flushing. "I do want to help you tho much but, but I have thought, that
ith, I am afwaid I know tho little how. You may think it dweadful of
me--"

She paused and Skippy frozen to the marrow said icily,

"Yes, what is it?"

"I have gone to Mr. Tuptale--to Perthy for advithe. I, I had to."

"Excuse me," said Skippy loftily. "Is Mr. Tuptale, are you,--is he?"

"Well, yeth," said Jennie, blushing, while a smile spread enormously
over Mr. Tuptale's features.

"Oh!"

"You thee that ith why," said Jennie hastily, "and, oh Jack, I do want
you to talk to him, juth ath you talked to me. Tell him evwything. He
ith tho helpful and tho underthanding."

She swayed from one foot to another and glanced from the boy to the man,
undecided.

"Jennie, dear," said Mr. Tuptale with surgical ease, "I think
ahem--suppose you let us talk this over together. It would be easier,
wouldn't it?"

"Oh yeth, indeed!"

The next moment they were alone.

"And now my boy," said Mr. Tuptale blandly. "Come, sit down. Let's have
it out like man to man."

Skippy did not at once comply. He walked slowly around the red plush
rocker and then back to