ered a meek voice; and Fanny clutched Polly, whispering,
"You must come; I 'm frightened out of my wits when he speaks like that.
Stand by me, Polly; there 's a dear."

"I will," whispered "sister Ann"; and down they went with fluttering
hearts.

Mr. Shaw stood on the rug, looking rather grim; the bouquet lay on the
table, and beside it a note, directed to "Frank Moore, Esq.," in a very
decided hand, with a fierce-looking flourish after the "Esq." Pointing
to this impressive epistle, Mr. Shaw said, knitting his black eyebrows
as he looked at Fanny, "I 'm going to put a stop to this nonsense
at once; and if I see any more of it, I 'll send you to school in a
Canadian convent."

This awful threat quite took Polly's breath away; but Fanny had heard it
before, and having a temper of her own, said, pertly, "I 'm sure I have
n't done anything so very dreadful. I can't help it if the boys send me
philopena presents, as they do to the other girls."

"There was nothing about philopenas in the note. But that 's not the
question. I forbid you to have anything to do with this Moore. He 's not
a boy, but a fast fellow, and I won't have him about. You knew this, and
yet disobeyed me."

"I hardly ever see him," began Fanny.

"Is that true?" asked Mr. Shaw, turning suddenly to Polly.

"Oh, please, sir, don't ask me. I promised I would n't that is Fanny
will tell you," cried Polly, quite red with distress at the predicament
she was in.

"No matter about your promise; tell me all you know of this absurd
affair. It will do Fanny more good than harm." And Mr. Shaw sat down
looking more amiable, for Polly's dismay touched him.

"May I?" she whispered to Fanny.

"I don't care," answered Fan, looking both angry and ashamed, as she
stood sullenly tying knots in her handkerchief.

So Polly told, with much reluctance and much questioning, all she knew
of the walks, the lunches, the meetings, and the notes. It was n't much,
and evidently less serious than Mr. Shaw expected; for, as he listened,
his eyebrows smoothed themselves out, and more than once his lips
twitched as if he wanted to laugh, for after all, it was rather comical
to see how the young people aped their elders, playing the new-fashioned
game, quite unconscious of its real beauty, power, and sacredness.

"Oh, please, sir, don't blame Fan much, for she truly is n't half as
silly as Trix and the other, girls. She would n't go sleigh-riding,
though Mr. Frank teased, and