.

"And so many of my friends would like to speak Spanish. Will you teach
them too?"

"Oh, Miss Levice, how can I go with such a past?"

"I tell you," said Ruth, proudly rearing her head, "if I introduce you
as my friend, you are, you must be, presentable."

The pale lips strove to answer her.

"To-morrow I shall come with a number of names of girls who are 'dying,'
as they say, to speak Spanish, and then you can go and make arrangements
with them. Will you?"

Thus pushed to the wall, Rose's tear-filled eyes were her only answer.

Ruth's own filled in turn.

"Dear little Rose," she said, her usual sweet voice coming back to her,
"won't it be lovely to do this? You will feel so much better when you
once get out and are earning your independent, pleasant living again.
And now will you forgive me for having been so harsh?"

"Forgive you!" A red spot glowed on each pallid cheek; she raised her
eyes and said with simple fervor, "I would die for you."

"No, but you may live for me," laughed Ruth, rising; "will you promise
me to go out this morning, just for a block or two?"

"I promise you."

"Well, then, good-by." She held out her hand meaningly; a little
fluttering one was placed in hers, and Ruth bent and kissed the wistful
mouth. That pure kiss would have wiped out every stain from Rose's
worshipping soul.

"I shall see you to-morrow surely," she called back, turning a radiant
face to the lonely little figure in the doorway. She felt deliriously
happy as she ran down the stairs; her eyes shone like stars; a buoyant
joyfulness spoke in her step.

"It is so easy to be happy when one has everything," she mused. She
forgot to add, "And gives much." There is so much happiness derived from
a kind action that were it not for the motive, charity might be called
supreme selfishness.

Chapter XI.

She told her mother in a few words at luncheon that she had arranged to
take Spanish lessons from a young protege of Dr. Kemp, who had been ill
and was in want.

"And I was thinking," she added with naive policy, "that I might combine
a little business with pleasure this afternoon,--pay off some of those
ever urgent calls you accuse me of outlawing, and at the same time try
to get up a class of pupils for Miss Delano. What do you think?"

"That would be nice; don't forget Mrs. Bunker. I know you don't like
her, but you must pay a call for the musical which we did not attend;
and she has children who might like