she said in a lower voice.

"That is hardly necessary," he said quickly, on his dignity.

"No, no. This is not my secret. Your word of honor. I must have your
word of honor."

"Very well," he said, carried away by his curiosity.

"Before the end of the year, in a few months even, Dad may lose every
cent he has!"

"He told you?" he said incredulously. "Or is this some trick of your
mother's?"

"No, no, it is no trick. Dad told us himself."

"Us? Whom?"

"Mother and me!"

"And Patsie?"

"No, Patsie is away."

"When did he tell you?"

"Just a week ago."

"But why?-- That doesn't seem like him to tell you," said Bojo,
frowning. "Perhaps you've exaggerated."

"No, no. He is in a bad way. He is caught," she said hurriedly. "Times
have been hard, the market has gone down steadily--all summer--way, way
down--and Dad is carrying enormous blocks of stock--must carry them or
admit defeat--and you know Dad! I don't know exactly what's wrong. He
didn't go into the matter; but he has enemies, tremendous enemies that
are trying to put him out, and it's a question of credit. Oh, if you'd
seen his face when he told us, you'd know just how serious it was!"

"Just what did he say?"

"He told us--I can't remember the words--that if times continued as they
had been, he stood a chance of losing every cent he had, that he was in
a fight for existence and that he couldn't tell how it would come out."
She hesitated a moment and added: "He thought the situation so critical
that we should know of it."

This last and the halting before saying it, suddenly gave him the light
he had been seeking during all this interview.

"In other words, Doris," he said quickly, "frankly and honestly, since
we are going to be honest now that we have come to the parting of the
ways--your father let you understand so that you might know how critical
the situation was and take your measures accordingly. That's it--isn't
it?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

"I hope at least that you haven't concealed anything from Boskirk," he
said quietly.

"Why should I tell him?"--she started to burst out, and caught her
breath, trapped.

"So you are already to be congratulated?" he said, looking at her with a
smile.

"That isn't true," she said hastily. "You know and I know that Mr.
Boskirk wants to marry me, that I can have him any day--"

"Don't," he said gravely. "You know there is an understanding--"

"Oh, an understanding--" she began.

"True," he