. It's a job, Barb, and a bigger one than you
can possibly want. Now, if we only knew some girl of real sense who was
foolish enough to be self-sacrificingly in love with him--but where are
we going to find the combination?"

"And even if we could, you say no woman in love with a man would do it."

"There are exceptions, sweet Simplicity. What we want is an exception!
Law, Barb, what a fine game a girl of the true stuff could play in such
a case! Not having his love yet, but wanting it worse than life, and yet
taking the biggest chance of losing it for the chance of saving him from
the wreck of his career. O see!" They stopped on the bridge again to
watch the sun's last beams gilding the waters, and Barbara asked,

"Do you believe the right kind of a girl would do that?"

"Why, if she could do it without getting found out, yes! Why, Law, I'd
have done it for Jeff-Jack! You see, she might save him and win him,
too; or she might win him even if she tried and failed to save him."

"But she might," said Barbara, gazing up the river, "she might even save
him and still lose."

"Yes, for a man thinks he's doing well if he so much as forgives a
deliverer--in petticoats. Yet still, Barb, wouldn't a real woman sooner
lose by saving him, than sit still and let him lose for fear she might
lose by trying to save him?"

"I don't know; you can't imagine mom-a doing such a thing, can you?"

"What! Cousin Rose? Why, of all women she was just the sort to have done
it. Barb, you'd do it!" Fannie expected her friend to look at her with
an expression of complimented surprise. But the surprise was her own
when Barbara gave a faint start and bent lower over the parapet. The
difference was very slight, as slight as the smile of fond suspicion
that came into Fannie's face.

"Fannie"--still looking down into the gliding water--"how does your
father think Mr. March is going to lose so much; is he afraid he'll be
swindled?"

"I believe he is, Barb."

"And do you think"--the words came very softly and significantly--"that
that makes it any special matter of mine that he should be warned?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I do."

"Then"--the speaker looked up with distressed resolve--"I must do what I
can. Will you help me, or let me help you, rather?"

"Yes, either way, as far as I can." They moved on for a moment. Then
Barbara stopped abruptly, looking much amused. "There's one risk you
didn't count!"

"What's that?"

"Why, if he should mist