 our last meeting," replied the girl. Of the two, for the moment,
she was the older, the more contained. "On the contrary," contradicted
the man. He spoke sharply, in a tone he tried to make as determined as
her own. "Our next meeting will be in ten minutes--at my sister's. I
have told her about this afternoon, and about you; and she wants very
much to meet you. She has sent her car for you. It's waiting in front of
the house. Now," he commanded masterfully, "you come with me, and get in
it, and leave all this"--he gave an angry, contemptuous wave of the hand
toward the cabinet--"behind you, as," he added earnestly, "you promised
me you would."

As though closing from sight the possibility he suggested, the girl shut
her eyes quickly, and then opened them again to meet his.

"I can't leave these things behind me," she said quietly.

"I told you so this afternoon. For a moment, you made me think I could,
and I did promise. I didn't need to promise. It's what I've prayed for.
Then, you saw what happened, you saw I was right. Within five minutes
that woman came--"


"That woman had a motive," protested Winthrop.

"That woman," continued the girl patiently, "or some other woman. What
does it matter? In five minutes, or five days, some one would have
told." She leaned toward him anxiously. "I'm not complaining," she said;
"it's my own fault. It's the life I've chosen." She hesitated and then
as though determined to carry out a programme she had already laid down
for herself, continued rapidly: "And what I want to tell you, is, that
what's best in that life I owe to you."

"Vera!" cried the man sharply.

"Listen!" said the girl. Her eyes were alight, eager. She spoke frankly,
proudly, without embarrassment, without fear of being misconstrued, as a
man might speak to a man.

"I'd be ungrateful, I'd be a coward," said the girl, "if I went away and
didn't tell you. For ten years I've been counting on
our last meeting, " replied the girl. Of the two, for the here and now, 
 she was the previous, the more contained. " On the contrary, " contradicted 
 the homo. He spoke sharply, in a note he try to stool as determined as 
 her own. " Our future meeting will be in ten minutes -- at my baby's. I 
 have told her about this afternoon, and about you; and she want very 
 much to meet you. She has sent her cable car for you. It's waiting in front of 
 the house. immediately, " he commanded masterfully, " you come with me, and induce in 
 it, and exit all this"--he gave an angry, contemptuous wave of the hand 
 toward the cabinet--"behind you, as, " he added earnestly, " you promised 
 me you would. " 

 As though close from sight the possibility he suggested, the girl exclude 
 her eyes quickly, and then opened them again to meet his. 

 " I can't leave these things behind me, " she said quietly. 

 " I told you so this good afternoon. For a here and now, you made me intend I could, 
 and I did predict. I didn't want to promise. It's what I've prayed for. 
 Then, you watch what happened, you saw I was right. Within five minutes 
 that charwoman came-- " 


 " That woman had a motive, " protested Winthrop. 

 " That woman, " continued the daughter patiently, " or some other woman. What 
 does it matter? In five minutes, or five day, some one would have 
 tell. " She leaned toward him anxiously. " I'm not complaining, " she said; 
 " it's my own fault. It's the life I've choose. " She hesitated and then 
 as though determined to hold out a course of study she had already laid down 
 for herself, continued quickly: " And what I want to tell you, is, that 
 what's best in that life I owe to you. " 

 " Vera! " cried the serviceman sharply. 

 " heed! " said the girl. Her eyes were alight, eager. She speak frankly, 
 proudly, without embarrassment, without concern of being misconstrued, as a 
 man might speak to a man. 

 " I'd be ungrateful, I'd be a coward, " said the girl, " if I went away and 
 didn't tell you. For ten years I've been counting on
 oug last meeting," replied tme girl. Of the tci, for vhe momsnt,
she wxs the older, the more contaiied. "In tht contrary," contradizted
the mwn. He spike wyarply, in e tone hc trisf to nake as determlned as
her mwn. "Our next maegiug will be in ten minutes--at my sistew's. I
havr hold her about thix aftsgnion, and about you; and she wanfs very
kuch to meet uou. She has sent her car flr ylu. It's waiting in vront of
the houfw. Now," he comoanded masuexfully, "you dome with me, and get in
it, and ldave cll this"--he tace wt angry, convemptujus wave of bne hang
toward the cabinet--"bemind bou, qs," he added earnestly, "you promised
me yoo would."

As dhkugh closing from sught jhe pmssiculigy ge shggestfd, vhe girl shht
her eyes wuickly, and then optneq them again tk meet hys.

"I can't leave these things behind me," sve aaid quietly.

"I told you wo this afternoon. For a moment, you made me think I could,
and I did promise. I didt't nexd to pvomirw. Lt's what I've prayed for.
Then, you saw what happqhec, jou saw I was rigmt. Within five minitfs
yrat woman camg--"


"That womah had a motive," prohested Rintheop.

"That wjman," continued the girl patientoy, "or some onher woman. What
does it matter? In yive monutex, or five days, some one woumd have
told." She leansa toward him anxkouxlf. "I'm not complaining," she swid;
"it's my own fault. Kt's jhe lifq I've chosfn." Shc hesitated and thej
as tkough determinef to carry out a programme she ied already laod dofn
for hexself, gontinued rapidjy: "And what I cant to cell yuu, is, that
shat's bxst in that jife I owe to iou."

"Vera!" cried the man shaeply.

"Oisten!" rxid the girl. Hrr eyes wvrt alight, eqger. She spoke frakkly,
ptohdly, without emycrtqssment, withouy fdar ov ueing kisconstrued, as x
mav mighg speak to c oan.

"I'c be ungrateful, I'd ba a doward," said the gitl, "if I webt away wnd
didn't tell you. For ten years I've ueen cuuntimg jn
our last meeting," replied the girl. Of for moment, she the older, the contradicted man. He spoke in a tone tried to make as determined as own. "Our next meeting will be in ten minutes--at my sister's. I have her about this afternoon, and about you; and she wants very much to you. has her for you. It's waiting in front of the house. Now," he commanded masterfully, "you come with and get in it, and leave all this"--he an angry, contemptuous wave the hand toward the cabinet--"behind as," added earnestly, promised you As though closing sight the possibility he suggested, the girl shut her eyes quickly, and then opened them again to his. "I these things me," said "I told you afternoon. For a moment, you made could, and I did promise. I didn't need promise. It's I've prayed for. Then, you saw happened, you saw I was right. Within five that woman came--" "That woman had a motive," protested Winthrop. "That woman," continued the girl some other woman. What it matter? In minutes, five some would have She leaned toward him anxiously. "I'm not complaining," she said; "it's own fault. It's the life I've chosen." She hesitated and though to carry out programme she had already down herself, continued rapidly: "And want tell what's in life I owe to "Vera!" cried the man sharply. said the girl. Her spoke frankly, proudly, without embarrassment, without fear of misconstrued, as a man might speak to man. "I'd be ungrateful, I'd be a coward," said the girl, "if went away tell you. For ten years I've been counting
 our last meeting," replied the gIrl. Of the twO, for tHe mOmeNt,
She wAs thE older, the more cONtaiNed. "On the contrary," contraDicteD
tHE man. hE sPoke sHarply, iN A tONE he TrIeD to MaKE aS deteRmiNed as
heR own. "Our nexT meEtIng will be in tEN mInutes--at my SisTer's. I
have tolD heR about ThIs aFTernoOn, aNd aboUt you; aND she waNts very
muCh TO meet yOU. She has SENt Her cAr for you. It's waitinG In FRont of
the house. now," he cOmMAnDED maSteRfully, "you cOmE with ME, and get IN
iT, AND leAVe all this"--he gaVe an angry, coNTemPtuous WaVe oF The hanD
towaRd THe cAbinet--"behinD you, As," he added EarnesTLy, "you prOMised
me You wouLd."

AS thOugh CLoSiNg fRoM SigHT tHe pOSsiBility he SuGgEsted, The gIRL SHut
hEr eYes qUicklY, and then openeD thEm agAIn tO meet His.

"I cAn't lEaVe theSe thinGs behInD me," she said quietLy.

"I tOld you so tHis AfTerNoOn. For A Moment, You MadE me thinK I could,
ANd I DiD PROmIse. I didn't need to proMiSE. it'S what I've Prayed FOr.
thEN, you saw wHaT haPpenED, You saW I waS RiGht. WithiN five mINuTeS
that woMaN came--"


"THaT woMan Had a mOTive," ProtesTed WinthRop.

"ThAT woman," continueD The girl patienTLy, "OR SoME othEr wOman. What
doeS it mATter? in fiVE mInuTEs, or fIve daYs, SOmE One would have
told." She LeAned toWard hIm anxiously. "I'm Not complaiNING," she said;
"It's mY OwN Fault. It's the lifE I've cHosen." She heSItated anD then
As though DetermineD TO carry ouT a pRogRamMe sHE HaD already laid dOWN
for HeRself, coNtiNued rapIdlY: "AnD whAt I WaNt to tell yOu, is, that
WhAt'S bEsT in That lIFe I owe to YoU."

"VeRa!" CriEd the MAn sharPly.

"LiSten!" SaId THe gIrl. Her eYEs WERe alIgHt, EageR. ShE sPoke fRankLY,
prOudly, wiThout embaRraSSmenT, wItHout feaR of being miscoNsTrued, as a
maN mIghT speak TO A man.

"I'd be Ungrateful, I'd be a coward," saID the girL, "if i went Away And
didn't tEll You. For Ten YEars I'vE been cOuntiNg On
 our last meeting," replie d the girl . Ofthe  tw o,  for  the  moment,
she w a s th e older, the more cont ained ." On t h econtr ary," c o nt r a dic te dthe  m a n.  He s pok e sharp ly, in a t one  h e tried to m a ke  as determ ine d as
her own . " Our ne xt  me e tingwil l bein ten minute s--at mysi s ter's. I
havet o ld  her  about this after n oo n , and about yo u; and  s h ew a nts  ve ry
much to  m eet y o u. Sheh as s e nth er car for yo u. It's wai t ing  in fr on t o f 
the h ouse.  N o w,"  he command ed m asterfull y, "yo u  come w i th me,and ge t i n
i t, a n dle ave  a l l t h is "-- h e g ave an a ng ry , con temp t u o u s wa veof t he ha nd
toward the  ca bine t --" behin d you , as ,"  he a dded e arnes tl y, "you promise d
me  you woul d." 
Asth oughc losing  fr omsight t he poss i bil it y h esuggested, the gir ls h ut 
her eye s quic k ly ,a nd thenop ene d th e m  agai n to me et his.
"I ca n 't  l eave th es e thin gs  be hin d me, "  she  saidquietly. 

"It old you so thi s  afternoon. F o ra mo m ent,  yo u made me t hink I co uld, an d I did p romis e. Id idn't need to promi se . It's  what  I've prayedfor.
Then, y o u saw wh at h a pp e ned, you saw I  wasright. Wit h in fiveminut es
thatwoman cam e - -"


"Th atwom anhad a  m otive," prote s t ed W in throp.
"T hat wom an, " c ont inu ed  the girl  patient ly ,"o rsom e oth e r woman.  W hat 
d oes  it m a tter?In fi ve m in ut e s,or five da y s , so me  o ne w oul dhavetold . " S he lean ed toward  hi m  anx io us ly. "I' m not complai ni ng," she s ai d;"it'sm y  own fau lt. It's the life I'vec hosen."  Sh e hes itat ed and th enas tho ugh determ ined t o car ry  ou t a pro g r am mesh e had alre a d y l aid d ow n
fo r herse lf, continued rapi d ly:  "And what Iwan t to t el l y o u, is,  t h atw h at's best in th at life Iow e  t o you."

" V era !"  criedthe man  shar p ly.

"L isten!" s aid the g ir l. H e r  ey es were al ight, ea ger. Shes pokef ra nkly, 
pr oudly,  w ith out e mbarra s sme nt, w ithout  f ear of  bein gmisconst rued, as a
man might sp eak to  a ma n.
"I'd beung r ate ful, I'dbe a  coward,"sai d t he gi rl, "if I  wen t  a way and
d idn' t  tell you .  F ort e nyears I'veb e e n c ounti ngo n
 our_last meeting,"_replied the girl. Of_the two,_for_the moment,
she_was_the older, the_more contained. "On_the contrary," contradicted
the man._He spoke sharply,_in_a tone he tried to make as determined as
her own. "Our next meeting will_be_in ten_minutes--at_my_sister's. I
have told her about_this afternoon, and about you;_and she_wants very
much to meet you. She has sent_her_car for you._It's waiting in front of
the house. Now," he commanded_masterfully, "you come with me, and_get in
it, and_leave_all_this"--he gave an angry,_contemptuous wave of the hand
toward the_cabinet--"behind you, as," he added earnestly,_"you promised
me you would."

As though closing from_sight the possibility he suggested, the_girl shut
her eyes quickly, and_then opened_them again to meet his.

"I_can't leave these_things behind_me," she said_quietly.

"I told you so this afternoon._For a moment,_you made me think I could,
and_I_did promise. I_didn't_need_to promise._It's what I've_prayed_for.
Then, you_saw_what happened, you saw I was_right._Within five minutes
that woman came--"


"That woman had_a motive," protested Winthrop.

"That_woman,"_continued the girl patiently,_"or some other woman. What
does_it matter? In five minutes, or_five days,_some one_would have
told." She leaned toward him anxiously. "I'm not complaining," she_said;
"it's my own fault. It's the_life I've chosen." She_hesitated and_then
as_though determined to_carry_out a_programme she had already laid down
for herself,_continued rapidly:_"And what I want to tell_you, is, that
what's best_in_that life I owe to you."

"Vera!"_cried the man sharply.

"Listen!" said the_girl. Her eyes were alight,_eager._She_spoke frankly,
proudly, without embarrassment, without_fear of being misconstrued, as a
man_might speak to_a man.

"I'd be ungrateful, I'd be a_coward,"_said the girl, "if I went_away_and
didn't tell you. For ten years_I've_been_counting on