ndly make the situation clear to
him, he would follow her instructions, but he awaited her reply before
acting upon her ward's request.

Miss Pritchard felt absolutely at sea. She was as puzzled as she was
troubled. Elsie had seemed so frank and open, and, despite her
generous nature, had seemed so frugal in her expenditure, making a
little go much further than Miss Pritchard herself could do, that she
couldn't imagine her demanding this sum without consulting her in
regard to it. She knew exactly what Elsie paid at the school--she had
insisted upon paying her own expenses out of five hundred dollars she
had brought with her and deposited. She knew, too, practically every
penny she spent in other ways, the total of which was always far below
the amount of her allowance; she knew her associates, and could have
accounted for every hour of her time. She could almost believe that
Mr. Bliss had made a blunder.

After pondering upon the subject all day, she telegraphed him not to
send the money, and decided to question Elsie that night.

She had no opportunity that evening, however. A certain Madame
Valentini, a former prima donna who had been a famous soprano in the
early days of "Pinafore," and who came to Miss Peacock's each year for
opera, had arrived during the day, and she and Miss Pritchard being old
friends, the evening was devoted to her. Madame Valentini was
white-haired now, and very stout, with chin upon chin; and the real
Elsie Marley would have thought her vulgar, for she rouged her cheeks,
laughed out heartily and frequently, and wore colors and fashions
ill-suited to her age and size, with jewels enough for a court-ball.
But she was full of life and spirit, warm-hearted, invariably cheerful,
an amusing and fluent talker, and musical to the ends of her be-ringed
fingers and the satin tips of her shoes.

Like every one else at Miss Peacock's, she took to Elsie at once. She
understood that the girl was studying for the stage, but recognized in
a twinkling that she had a singing voice, and finally prevailed upon
her to try it. She herself played the accompaniment with a skill that
was a revelation to Elsie, who had never enjoyed singing as she enjoyed
it that night.

When she had done, the prima donna threw her arms about the girl and
drew her to her bosom. Elsie Marley must have shuddered, but her
namesake, thrilled with singing to the sympathetic accompaniment,
kissed her warmly on her unnaturall