to find himself recurring to his father for knowledge of human
nature--his father whom he had always considered the most ignorant of
men as to knowledge of the world.

He sprang to his feet and looked at his watch. Perhaps, it was not yet
too late to see the little girl to-night if he hurried? Clark lived not
very far off, in a little side street, and they would sit up late
Christmas Eve.

As he turned to the mirror it was with trepidation, his last glance at
it had been so dreadful; but he was relieved to find a pleasanter
expression on his face. He almost saw a slight resemblance to his
father.

The next moment he hurried from the room; stole down the stair; slipped
on his overcoat, and hastily let himself out of the door.

CHAPTER X

It was quite clear out now and the moon was riding high in a cloudless
heaven. The jingle of sleigh-bells had increased and just as Livingstone
turned the corner a sleigh dashed past him. He heard the merry voices of
young people, and amid the voices the ringing laughter of a young girl,
clear as a silver bell.

Livingstone stopped short in his tracks and listened. He had not heard
anything so musical in years--he had not heard a young girl's laughter
in years--he had not had time to think of such things. It brought back
across the snow-covered fields--across the snow-covered years--a
Christmas of long ago when he had heard a young girl's musical laughter
like a silvery chime, and, standing there in the snow-covered street,
for one moment Livingstone was young again--no longer a gray-haired man
in the city; but a young man in the country, somewhere under great
arching boughs; face to face with one who was also young;--and, looking
out from a hood that surrounded it like a halo, a girlish face flashed
on him: cheeks like roses, brilliant with the frosty air; roguish eyes,
now dancing, now melting; a laughing mouth from which came such rippling
music that there was no simile for it in all the realm of silvery sound,
the enchanting music of the joy of youth.

With a cry, Livingstone sprang forward with outstretched, eager hands to
catch the vision; but his arms enclosed only vacancy and he stood alone
in the empty street.

A large sleigh came by and Livingstone hailed it. It was a livery
vehicle and the driver having just put down at their homes a party of
pleasure-seekers was on his way back to his stable. He agreed with
Livingstone to take him to his destination and wait