ed sweetly.

"What the _Express_ said is one reason why I'm going to open an
office."

"Yes?"

"I'm not going to let fear of that Mr. Bruce dictate my life. And
since I'm going to be a lawyer, I'm going to be the whole thing. And
what's more, I'm going to act as though I were doing the most ordinary
thing in the world. And if Mr. Bruce and the town want to talk, why,
we'll just let 'em talk!"

"But--but--aren't you afraid?"

"Of course I'm afraid," she answered promptly. "But when I realize
that I'm afraid to do a thing, I'm certain that that is just exactly
the thing for me to do. Oh, don't look so worried, dear"--she leaned
across and kissed him--"for I'm going to be the perfectest, properest,
politest lady that ever scuttled a convention. And nothing is going to
happen to me--nothing at all."

Breakfast finished, Katherine despotically led her father up to his
laboratory. A little later she set out for downtown, looking very
fresh in a blue summer dress that had the rare qualities of simplicity
and grace. Her colour was perhaps a little warmer than was usual, but
she walked along beneath the maples with tranquil mien, seemingly
unconscious of some people she passed, giving others a clear, direct
glance, smiling and speaking to friends and acquaintances in her most
easy manner.

As she turned into Main Street the intelligence that she was coming
seemed in some mysterious way to speed before her. Those exemplars
of male fashion, the dry goods clerks, craned furtively about front
doors. Bare-armed and aproned proprietors of grocery stores and their
hirelings appeared beneath the awnings and displayed an unprecedented
concern in trying to resuscitate, with aid of sprinkling-cans, bunches
of expiring radishes and young onions. Owners of amiable steeds that
dozed beside the curb hurried out of cavernous doors, the fear of
run-away writ large upon their countenances, to see if a buckle was
not loose or a tug perchance unfastened. Behind her, as she passed,
Main Street stood statued in mid-action, strap in motionless hand,
sprinkling-can tilting its entire contents of restorative over a box
of clothes-pins, and gaped and stared. This was epochal for Westville.
Never before had a real, live, practising woman lawyer trod the cement
walk of Main Street.

When Katherine came to Court House Square, she crossed to the south
side, passed the _Express_ Building, and made for the Hollingsworth
Block, whose first floor was