ion as she turned away and entered the
house.

Going up to her room, she dressed hastily and ran downstairs again to
the closet where her bicycle was kept. Fifteen minutes later, she
stopped at the door of a book store. There, instead of leaving her
bicycle outside, she coolly rolled it through the open doorway and on
into a room at the back of the shop, where she also left her hat. Then
she came back to the desk, mounted a lofty stool, drew a heavy book
towards her, and fell to work.

She had gone to her father's office, one evening, a little more than a
week before. There chanced to be no patients, but Phebe sat reading
before the fire.

"I want to talk to papa, Phebe," she said.

"Talk away, then." And Phebe returned to her book.

"But it's business."

"I don't care. You won't disturb me any."

"'Tisn't that I'm afraid of. I want to see papa alone."

"You'll have to wait, then."

"Please go, Phebe."

"Sha'n't. I was here first." Phebe yawned, and nestled deeper into her
chair.

"Babe, I think you will have to make way for Teddy," the doctor said,
laughing. "You can read just as well somewhere else, and if Teddy really
wants to talk--"

"I do, papa," she urged eagerly.

Phebe retired, grumbling.

"What is it, my girl?" the doctor asked, as Theodora perched herself on
the arm of his chair.

"I want my own way, as usual, papa, and I want you to stand up for me
when the others howl," she answered coaxingly.

"Howl? Do they usually howl at you?"

"Not literally, of course, and not half as much as I deserve. But then,
I want moral support."

"What now?"

"I want--" Theodora paused impressively--"I want to go to college, and I
want to go into business."

The doctor smiled.

"Well, my aspiring daughter, and which will be your choice?"

"Both; one for the sake of the other. It is this way; I want to go to
Smith. It is the best place for me, and I do want to go more than you've
any idea. You don't disapprove, do you?"

"Not if it can be arranged," he answered thoughtfully. "But what has
started you on this so suddenly, Teddy?"

"It isn't so sudden as it seems; but I didn't want to talk about it too
soon. You see, mamma and Mrs. Farrington both are college women, and
their talk makes me half wild to go. Billy goes, next year, and I shall
be all ready to enter at the same time. Should you mind very much?"

"I should hate to lose you for four long years, Ted."

"That's only a little while, and