y from his throat with trembling fingers, "why ain't ye home with
your poor old grandfather, where ye belong? Lida Kennard, why ain't ye
home?"

Her eyes did not waver. Brophy had followed, to be better informed as to
the funeral, and stood in the doorway.

"Who's the nut?" inquired Patsy Jones, acridly, turning her gaze to the
landlord. "He's calling me names." Her hard tones made the old man
wince.

"He's all right--safe--only a little crazier than usual," returned
Brophy. "If you want to eat, Dick, go ahead and eat--but don't bother
Miss Jones. I don't allow anybody to bother her. And where's that
funeral, I ask you again?"

"Here!" said the old man, rapping his knuckles on his breast. "It's
buried. I guess I am crazy. Oh yes, I'll admit it. I see things that
ain't so."

"Well, go ahead and eat," commanded Brophy.

"I don't want to eat--I can't, now." He pushed back his chair and rose.

"What names did he call you?" demanded the landlord, truculently. "I
won't have your feelings hurt, you know!"

"Oh, only made some funny noises," retorted Miss Jones, flippantly. "Let
him go. I don't mind."

Rickety Dick plodded out as he had plodded in; he was shaking his head,
dismissing all his hopes and his dreams.

Miss Jones went to another guest. "The world is full of 'em," she said.
"We have lamb, beef, and pork."

Brophy retired, entertaining no further curiosity.

The surge of homesickness that swept through the girl choked her--its
spray blurred her eyes as she gazed after old Dick, pitying his bent
shoulders under the sun-faded coat. But even in her sorrow, because she
had been obliged to deny his wistful plaint so heartlessly, she was
conscious of relief. She had been afraid of his recognition of her;
after this she would be more free to come and go.

That evening at supper there was a guest who troubled her thoughts more
than had Rickety Dick, but in another way. Ward Latisan was down again
from the drive, still adoring her frankly and unabashed with his eyes,
following all her movements; it was plain that he had taken counsel with
himself while he had been away from her and that his love had been made
acute by separation. She was of a mind to hide away from him in her room
after her work was done. But there was the cultivation of his friendship
to consider! She must keep up that friendship in order to be able to
influence him.

Timorously, wondering what was to come from the coil of events as she
saw