al exhilaration that was
almost tumult. The door of her inner nature, set ajar by Elsie Moss,
had opened wide. She had never in all her sixteen years been really
roused out of herself until she met the former; and she had never come
in contact with a nature so rich and fine as that of the clergyman.
Further than this, something else stirred in the girl's
heart--something better than the desire to hold this friend for her
own. Unawares, dimly, she felt his reaching out for sympathy, realized
dimly that there was something that even a young girl could do for him.
And suddenly a feeling of depression that was like regret or even
remorse took possession of her. The confession she had to make would
hurt him deeply, even now.

Her trunk had been brought in and the straps unfastened. For an
instant Elsie wavered. Finally she got her key from her pocketbook.
But even as she crossed the room, she thought of Mrs. Middleton, the
dingy swan's-down and the caresses, and decided not to unlock the trunk.

She stood by the window looking out absently over the soft, starlit
landscape. She felt sorry for Mr. Middleton and sorry for Elsie Moss;
and curiously enough those two were the two persons in the world in
whom she had any real interest! Perhaps the latter wouldn't mind her
aunt as she did; and of course she would be, to use her own expression,
"crazy over" her uncle. Then, too, with all her charm and vivacity,
she could do much more to brighten the monotony and squalor of his
life. And yet, her heart was set upon becoming an actress, and it
would be much harder now to give it up than if she hadn't seemed to
have a fair chance to pursue her studies. Elsie remembered dimly tales
she had heard of people dying from broken hearts. Somehow, it seemed
almost as if that vivid, sparkling Elsie Moss would be of the sort to
take things so hard that----

She broke off, turned from the window, and began to undress. So far as
Mr. Middleton was concerned, it occurred to her that possibly some one
who hadn't any ambition might learn to do even better toward helping
him than one whose heart was divided. She said to herself that she
wouldn't decide definitely against opening her trunk until morning. If
she should find, for instance, that Mrs. Middleton kept her room the
greater part of the time, it might make some difference.

Ready to put out the light, she noticed that the covers of the bed had
not been turned down--an omission u