en that escapade of his when he was only seven." Helen patted
the golden head beside her while her thoughts were back with her boy.
"He was walking with me when suddenly he looked up; his poor little
face was all twisted! He just said rather impishly, 'I'm going! I am
really!' and he went! I was, naturally, frightened, and ran after
him--then, when I caught sight of him, a long way ahead, I stopped and
waited. When he thought I was not following, he waded right out into a
puddle; he even had a scrappy fight with a bigger boy who contested
his right to invade the puddle. It was so absurd. Kathryn, I actually
went home; I felt sure Brace would find his way back and he did. I was
nearly wild with anxiety, but I waited. He came back disgustingly
dirty, but hilariously happy. He expected punishment. When none was
meted out to him--he told me all about it--it seemed flat enough when
he saw how I took it. Why, I never even mentioned the mud on him. He
was disappointed, but I think he understood more than I realized. When
he went to bed that night, he begged my pardon!"

Kathryn got up and walked about the room. She was staging another
drama. Brace was now playing in puddles--not such simple ones as those
of his childhood. He was having his little fight, too, possibly; with
whom?

Well, how perfectly thrilling to save him!

Such a girl as Kathryn has as cheap an imagination as any lurid
factory girl, but it is kept as safely from sight as the contents of
her vanity bag.

"Kathryn, have you heard from Brace?"

The girl started almost guiltily. Helen hated to ask this, she feared
Kathryn might think her envious; but Kathryn rose and drew a chair to
the couch.

"No, dearie-dear," she said sweetly.

"So you don't know just where he is?"

"How could I know, dearie thing?"

So they were not keeping things from her; shutting her out! Helen
Northrup raised her head from the pillow.

"We're in the same boat, darling," she said, so glad to be in the same
boat. "Lately I've had a few whim-whams." Helen felt she could be
confidential. "I suppose I am touching the outer circle of old age,
and before it blinds me, I'm going to have my say. It would be just
like you and Brace to forget yourselves and think of me. And if I do
not look out, I'll be taking your sacrifice and calling it by its
wrong name. You and Brace must marry. I half believe you've been
waiting for me to push you out of the nest. Well, here you go! Your
own nest