k it of you--he thought the
sacrifice too great--and that is why I came to you with my offer. Do not
think me rude, therefore."

He answered gravely. I was not rude, he assured me, and he owed me deep
thanks. He had only one favor to ask; that I should not tell Frank the
secret, but would leave it and the joy that it would bring, for him, his
father. He would tell him immediately after Frank had returned home from
his stay at my apartment.

I hurried home, for it was now nearly suppertime. To my amazement I
found Frank sitting in the lobby of the apartment, his old suitcase
beside him, his look one of fevered disconsolement.

"What's the trouble?" I asked him.

"Oh, I just wanted to say goodby to you," he said hurriedly. "I did not
want to go without doing that. I've--I've had a pleasant time."

"But why are you going?"

"Oh, I want to be home ... you know, I get a little homesick." But he
said it so stumblingly that I was sure he was not telling me all.

"Frank," I demanded, "tell me the truth. Has anything gone wrong? I had
hoped you would stay until my aunt returned."

He laughed at that, and mystified me the more. "Have any of the servants
offended you in any way?" I asked, searching my brain for some reason
for his change of attitude.

"The servants? Oh, no, of course not!" He picked up his suitcase and
started for the street. "Well, goodby," he said. He stopped as if he
wanted to explain, then thought better--or worse--of it, and went on. I
was a little nettled by this time, and let him go.

As I went up in the elevator, it seemed to me a mighty mystery. But no
sooner had I let myself into the apartment than I was due for a bigger
surprise.

For there, blocking the hallway, a figure of offended pride, stood Aunt
Selina.

I went to her to kiss her, but she stepped back and glared into my face.

"It's a lucky thing I came back unexpectedly," she said. "The idea of
finding a little Jew boy like that in my room--sitting in my own bedroom
with his copy books spread all over my directoire desk! A common little
boy with an accent!"

I saw it all, now.

"That boy was one of my best friends," I told her as calmly as I could.
"Had I thought you would have objected to his presence here, I would
never have invited him to stay with me for these weeks."

"Weeks? What, you have had that little East Side creature here for
weeks?" She began to walk up and down the hall in feline fury. "Haven't
you any idea of