eral times, but all at once he
stopped coming. She remembered it now. The last time he came was at
night, and she had seen him only long enough to speak to him in the hall
as she was starting upstairs. She recalled now some loud words being
spoken by him; the regulated tones of her father in reply, and that
night the Major had paced his room till nearly morning. When she asked
for an explanation the following day, her father had put her off by
saying it was purely a business matter which it was best she should not
know about. She had let it go at that at the time, although she wondered
that a business call should have been so stormy. Now she realized that
something was being kept from her; that her father was shielding her
through love and mercy from something she had a right to know. That had
been in her girlhood, though only two years ago. But since then her
mother had died, and during the following two years, which had brought
her to twenty, she felt that she had grown to be a woman. She had met
successfully the responsibility of caring for the house, and she felt
that she could equally meet any other responsibility touching her
family.

As they passed into the long hall again, the Major laid aside his hat
and turned to the open library door to resume his reading. Julia gently
detained him.

"Daddy, what's the trouble between Mr. Marston and us?"

The old man's face grew very grave.

"Who spoke of trouble, lassie?"

"Would a friend attempt so vile a thing as was attempted last night? He
has grounds for his conduct, or thinks he has. I want to know it all.
I'm sure you never harmed any of his, or him. Then why does the man hate
us? He must be very wicked, for no honorable enemy would employ such
underhand methods of attack. Now tell me all about it, won't you?"

Major Dudley tilted her chin with his bent forefinger, and gazed long
and earnestly into the fearless eyes upheld to meet his own.

"There are some things little girls shouldn't know," he said, finally.

"Little girls, indeed!" she exclaimed, almost petulantly. "Won't you
ever realize that I'm a woman, though a young one, and can't you trust
your only daughter with a family secret, daddy dear?"

It was quite evident that her feelings were on the verge of being
wounded, for her lips were a little unsteady, and her eyes were
reproachful.

The reply came in a soft, reminiscent voice.

"'Twas yesterday you were in pinafores, chasing butterflies by day