king with laughter. Long practice in bandying words with
her brother had made her an expert tease. Usually they both enjoyed
such combats, but now, to her surprise, he seemed indifferent to her
most provoking comments, and scraped away at his chin in dignified
silence.

"I believe you said you had something to say to me, Philippa," he
said presently, in a stern tone that made her stare. Never, except
when he was very angry, did he call her anything but Flip.

Suddenly sobered, she took her face out of the pillows and peered at
him curiously, twisting one of the long plaits of hair that hung over
her shoulder.

"I have," she said. "I want to know what's the matter with you. What
has come over you lately? You've been as sullen as a brown bear for
days and days. I asked Aunt Eunice just now, while we were washing
the supper dishes, what had changed you so. You used to be whistling
and joking whenever you came near the house. Now you never open your
lips except to make some sarcastic speech.

"She said that it was probably because you were so disappointed
about not getting that position in the bank that you had set your
heart on, and she was afraid that you were growing discouraged
about ever finding any position worth while in this sleepy little
village. She didn't know that I saw it, but while she was talking
a tear splashed right down in the dish-water, and I made up my mind
that it must be something lots worse than just plain disappointment
or discouragement, and that I was going to ask you. Now, you needn't
snap your mouth shut that way, like a clam. You've got to tell me!"

"Aunt Eunice doesn't want you to know," he said, turning away from
the glass, razor in hand, to look at her intently. "But you're a big
girl, Flip--nearly as tall as she is, if you are only fifteen. You're
bound to hear it sometime, and in my opinion it would be better for
you to hear it from me than to have it knock you flat coming
unexpectedly from a stranger, as I heard it."

[Illustration: "'YOU'RE BOUND TO HEAR IT SOMETIME.'"]

"Tell me," she urged, her curiosity aroused.

"Can you stand a pretty tough knock?"

"As well as you," she answered, meeting his gaze steadily, yet with a
queer kind of chill creeping over her at his mysterious manner.

"Well, what do you suppose you and Mack and I have been living on all
these years that we have been living with Aunt Eunice?"

"Why--I--I don't know! Mother's share of Grandfather Macklin's