gy.

He gave her a quick look of inquiry. "Surely no one will--"

"They will say the Widow Thorpe's devotion to her brother was not her only
excuse for moving into good old Simmy's apartment, and they will also say
that Dr. Thorpe must be singularly without practice in order to give all
of his time to a solitary case."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Anne," he cried impatiently, "give people credit
for having a little commonsense and charity. They--"

"I don't give them credit for having anything of the kind," she said
coolly, "when it comes to discussing their fellow creatures. I hope you
are not distressed, Braden. As you have said, people will discuss us. We
cannot escape the consequences of being more or less public institutions,
you and I. Of course they will talk about our being here together. I knew
that when I came here three weeks ago."

"Then why did you come?" he demanded.

She replied with a directness that shamed him. "Because I do not want
people to talk about Lutie. That is one reason. Another is that I wanted
to do my share in looking after George." Suddenly her eyes narrowed.
"You--you do not imagine that I--I--you couldn't have thought _that_ of me,
Braden."

He shook his head slowly. "If I had thought _that_, Anne, I should not
have told you a moment ago that you were wonderful," he said.

Few women would have been content to let it go at that. It is the
prerogative of woman to expect more than a crumb, and, if it is not
forthcoming from others, to gratify the appetite by feeding confidently
upon herself. In this instance, Anne might have indulged herself in the
comfort of a few tremulous words of self-justification, and even though
they drew nothing in exchange, she would at least have had the pleasure of
uttering them, and the additional satisfaction of knowing that he would
have to listen to them, whether or no. But she was far too intelligent for
that. Her good sense overcame the feminine craving; she surprised him by
holding her tongue.

He waited for a second or two and then said: "Good-bye. I shall drop in
to-morrow to see George."

She held out her hand. "He swears by you," she said, with a smile.

For the first time in more than a year, their hands touched. Up to this
moment there had not been the remotest evidence of an inclination on the
part of either to bridge the chasm that lay between them. The handclasp
was firm but perfunctory. She had herself under perfect control. It is of
imp