manner was of short duration. He looked at Hester
again, and grew quite serious. Very strange ideas came to him. He had a
queer feeling that somehow his mother had made a mistake in not calling
at the seminary that morning, and that he stood nearer the truth than he
had ever stood before. These thoughts prompted him to turn to Hester
with questions which were pertinent and personal.

"Where do you live, Miss Alden?" Hester told him. She wondered as she
did so why he had asked the question as though it were of moment.

"Who are your people? Have you always lived there?"

He had touched Hester on the one delicate subject of her life. She had
pride enough for several girls. Not even Aunt Debby knew how her lack of
parentage and name had hurt her. She had never permitted herself to
think of it, lest she should grow depressed and unhappy. And to think
that now this Robert Vail whom she had liked so much, had presumed to
question her. Like a flash, it came to her that perhaps he had met Kate
Bowerman or Abner Stout and they had told him that she had been left a
waif on Debby Alden's hands and that her people had cared so little for
her that they never came to find her.

For an instant, pride was up in arms. Her one thought was to defend
herself at whatever cost. All Aunt Debby's precious training was flung
to the winds. She raised her head proudly and looked directly at him. In
her eyes was a look of defiance; the crimson of annoyance and shame
flamed on her cheeks.

"Who are my people?" she repeated his question. "As my name is Alden, I
presume my people also were of that name. My father and mother died when
I was a babe, and my father's sister, my Aunt Debby Alden reared me."

Her annoyance was evident. Robert Vail was vexed with himself for having
caused it. "I am always falling into error, Miss Alden. If you forgive
me this once more, I shall promise not to annoy you again. I fancy my
question was personal. I asked it because of the resemblance to my
mother and cousin. It came to me that you might be a relative. Though I
doubt if you would wish to claim us. We are a bad lot. I am really the
only fair specimen among them."

"Such insufferable conceit," said Helen. "Everyone knows that it keeps
all the other members of the family taking care of you."

"Which proves what I have just said. I am the family jewel. It behooves
them to take care of me, lest I be lost or stolen." Turning to Hester,
he held out his hand. "