w; you used to cry for a sister, didn't you?"

"Yes. Why, how'd you guess that?"

"I can't say, unless it was because I used to cry for a little brother."

"And why a little one?" he asked.

"I was young and didn't know any better."

"But later on, you----"

"I wanted the largest size."

"D'd you ever cry for a brother of the largest size?"

"Why, yes; I nearly cry for one yet, sometimes, when somebody makes me
mad."

"Miss Garnet, I'm your candidate!"

"No, Mr. March. If you were elected you'd see your mistake and resign in
a week, and I couldn't endure the mor-ti-fi-ca-tion."

John colored. He thought she was hinting at fickleness; but she gave him
a smile which said so plainly, "The fault would be mine," that he was
more than comfortable again--on the surface of his feelings, I mean.

And so with Barbara. The train had begun a down-grade and was going
faster and faster. As she stood sweetly contemplating the sunset sky and
sinking hills, fearing to move lest that arm behind her should be
withdrawn and yet vigilant to give it no cause to come nearer, an
unvoiced cry kept falling back into her heart--"Tell him!--For your
misguided father's sake! Now!--Now!--Stop this prattle about friendship,
love, and truth, and tell him his danger!"

But in reality she had not, and was not to have, the chance.

The young land-owner stood beside her staring at nothing and trying to
bite his mustache.

He came to himself with a start. "Miss Garnet----"

As she turned the sky's blush lighted her face.

"That case we were speaking of inside, you know----"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, as I said, I knew that case myself. But, my goodness, Miss
Garnet, you won't infer that I was alluding in any way to--to any
experience of my own, will you?"

She made no reply.

"Law! Miss Garnet, you don't think I'd offer anybody a friendship pulled
out of a slough of despond, do you?"

Barbara looked at him in trembling exaltation. "Mr. March, I know what
has happened!"

He winced, but kept his guard. "Do you mean you know how it is I am on
this train?"

"Yes, I know it all."

"O my soul! Have I betrayed it?"

"No, sir; the train conductor--I led him on--told us all about it before
we were twenty miles from Suez."

"I ought to have guessed you'd find it out," said John, in a tone of
self-rebuke.

"Yes," she replied, driving back her tears with a quiet smile, "I think
you ought."

"Why--why, I--I--I'm overwhelmed. Gracious m