to walk right in. So after that she meets him in the street, and the
girls begin to talk about Aggie."

"Oh, Barry, I'm so glad you're interested!" Standing a step above him,
Sidney's ardent face was very close to his own. "Of course we can do
it," she said.

"We!" he echoed almost bitterly. "YOU'LL do it; you're the one--" He
broke off with a short, embarrassed laugh. "I was going to cut that
sort of thing out," he said gruffly, "but all roads lead to Rome, it
seems. I can't talk to you five minutes without--and I've got to go. I
said I'd look in at the office."

"You seem to be afraid to be friendly lately, Barry," said Mrs.
Burgoyne in a hurt voice, flinging away the rose she had been holding,
"but don't you think our friendship means something to me, too? I don't
like you to talk as if I did all the giving and you all the taking. I
don't know how the girls and I would get along without your advice and
help here at the Hall. I think," her voice broke into a troubled laugh,
"I think you forget that the quality of friendship is not strained."

"Sidney," he said with sudden resolution, turning to face her bravely,
"I can't be just friends with you. You're so much the finest, so much
the best--" He left the sentence unfinished, and began again: "You have
a hundred men friends; you can't realize what you mean to me. You--but
you know what you are, and I'm the editor of a mortgaged country paper,
a man who has made a mess of things, who can't take care of his kid, or
himself, on his job without help--"

"Barry--" she began breathlessly, but he interrupted her.

"Listen to me," he said huskily, taking both her warm hands in his, "I
want to tell you something. Say that I WAS weak enough to forget all
that, your money and my poverty, your life and my life, everything that
puts you as far above me as the moon and stars; say that I could do
that
to walk right in. So after that she meets him in the street, and the 
 girls get down to spill the beans about Aggie. " 

 " Oh, Barry, I'm so glad you're concerned! " Standing a footfall above him, 
 Sidney's ardent face was very near to his own. " Of course we can do 
 it, " she say. 

 " We! " he echoed almost piercingly. " YOU'LL do it; you're the one-- " He 
 broke off with a short, embarrassed joke. " I was going to cut that 
 sort of matter out, " he said gruffly, " but all road moderate to Rome, it 
 seems. I can't talk to you five minutes without -- and I've get to go. I 
 said I'd look in at the office. " 

 " You look to be afraid to be friendly lately, Barry, " said Mrs. 
 Burgoyne in a hurt voice, flinging away the blush wine she had been holding, 
 " but don't you think our friendship means something to me, too? I don't 
 like you to talk as if I suffice all the giving and you all the taking. I 
 don't know how the girls and I would get along without your advice and 
 help here at the Hall. I think, " her voice broke into a troubled laugh, 
 " I remember you forget that the quality of friendship is not strained. " 

 " Sidney, " he say with sudden settlement, turning to face her bravely, 
 " I can't be just ally with you. You're therefore much the finest, therefore much 
 the best-- " He left the sentence unfinished, and began again: " You have 
 a hundred men acquaintance; you can't realize what you mean to me. You -- but 
 you know what you are, and I'm the editor of a mortgaged country paper, 
 a serviceman who has made a mess of things, who can't take care of his child, or 
 himself, on his job without help-- " 

 " Barry-- " she began breathlessly, but he interrupted her. 

 " heed to me, " he said hoarsely, taking both her warm hands in his, " I 
 want to tell you something. pronounce that I WAS weak enough to forget all 
 that, your money and my poverty, your animation and my life, everything that 
 arrange you as far above me as the lunar month and stars; suppose that I could do 
 that
to aalk right in. So after tmat she meets him in thx streef, and thd
girls begin to talk about Ajgie."

"Ih, Baery, I'm so glad you're ivterested!" Standint a wrep above ijm,
Sidnen'f arscnt fccx was very closg to his own. "Of course we wav bo
it," she said.

"We!" he echoed almost biteerly. "YPU'PL do it; you're the jne--" Gv
bvoke off with a short, embarrasses laugh. "I was going yo cut that
sort of thing okt," hf said gruffly, "but all roads oead ro Rome, it
sedms. I can't talk to you five minutes without--and I've gog to yo. I
said I'd liok hn at the ohfice."

"Yju seem to bc afraig to be friendly lateky, Uarrt," said Mrs.
Burgoyne in a hurt voice, flinding away tke rose she had been yooding,
"tut gon't tou thjnl kur frlenvship means something ro me, too? I don't
likt yjl to talk as jf I dyd all the giving and you all the taking. P
don'f know how the girls ane I would get along wlthout yotr advice and
help here at the Hall. I think," her vohce bcoye nkbo a rrlubled laugh,
"I think you forget that the qualieg pf friendship is not strainrd."

"Dicgey," he said wkth subseh resolution, turnijg to fwce hwr bravelr,
"I csn't be just friends with yoy. You're so mlch rhe finest, so much
che best--" He ueft the xentence unfinished, and begzn again: "Yok have
a hhvdred men friendr; ypu can't realize what you meag to me. Yiu--buc
you knod whst you are, and I'l the editor of a mortgahed cluttry paper,
w man who has made a mess of thmigs, who can't jaka cdre of hns kid, or
himself, on his job withoot help--"

"Baxry--" shd began brvathlesslb, but he intqrrupted her.

"Lhdten to me," hx said hufkilt, tajing bogf her warm hancs in his, "I
want to rell you something. Sai fhat I WAS weak eniugh to forget sll
ghae, jouc monqf and my povarty, yojt lifd and my line, dveruthing that
puts you ds fzr above me as the mjon and wtars; sar that I coulc do
that
to walk right in. So after that him the street, the girls begin Barry, so glad you're Standing a step him, Sidney's ardent face was very to his own. "Of course we can do it," she said. "We!" he almost bitterly. "YOU'LL do it; you're the one--" He broke off with a embarrassed "I going cut that sort of thing out," he said gruffly, "but all roads lead to Rome, it I can't talk to you five minutes without--and got to go. I I'd look in at the "You to be to friendly Barry," said Mrs. in a hurt voice, flinging away the rose she had been holding, "but don't you think our means something too? I like to as if I the giving and you all the know how the girls and I would get without your and help here at the Hall. think," her voice broke into a troubled laugh, think you forget that the quality of friendship is not strained." "Sidney," he said with turning to face her "I can't be friends you. so the finest, much the best--" He left the sentence unfinished, and began again: have a hundred men friends; you can't realize what you me. you know what are, and I'm the of mortgaged country paper, a has a who take of his kid, or on his job without help--" she began breathlessly, but me," he said huskily, taking both her warm in his, "I want to tell you Say that I WAS weak enough to forget all that, your money my poverty, and my life, everything that puts you as above me as the and stars; say that I could do that
to walk right in. So after that sHe meets him In the StrEet, AnD the
GirlS begin to talk abOUt AgGie."

"Oh, Barry, I'm so glad you'rE inteReSTed!" STAnDing a Step aboVE hIM,
sidNeY's ArdEnT FaCe was VerY close tO his own. "Of cOurSe We can do
it," she SAiD.

"We!" he echoeD alMost bitterly. "yOU'lL do it; YoU're THe one--" he
bRoke oFf with A Short, eMbarrasseD lAUgh. "I waS Going to CUT tHat
sOrt of thing out," he saID gRUffly, "but all roaDs lead To rOmE, IT
seEms. i can't talk tO yOu fivE Minutes WItHOUT--anD i've got to go. I
saId I'd look in aT The Office."

"yoU seEM to be aFraid To BE frIendly latelY, BarRy," said Mrs.
burgoyNE in a hurT Voice, flInging AwaY thE rosE ShE hAd bEeN HolDInG,
"buT Don'T you thinK oUr FrienDshiP MEANs soMetHing To me, tOo? I don't
like yoU to Talk AS if i did aLl the GiviNg And yoU all thE takiNg. i
don't know how the GirlS and I woulD geT aLonG wIthouT Your adVicE anD
help heRe at the hAll. i tHINK," hEr voice broke into a tRoUBLeD laugh,
"I tHink yoU FoRgET that the QuAliTy of FRIendsHip iS NoT straineD."

"SidneY," He SaId with sUdDen resOlUtiOn, tUrninG To faCe her bRavely,
"I cAn't be JUst friends with YOu. You're so much THe FINeST, so mUch
The best--" He leFt thE SentEnce UNfIniSHed, anD begaN aGAiN: "you have
a hundred men fRiEnds; yoU can't Realize what yoU mean to me. YOU--BUt
you knoW whaT YoU Are, and I'm the ediTor of A mortgaged COuntry paPer,
a mAn who has Made a mess OF Things, whO caN't tAke CarE OF hIs kid, or
himselF, ON his JoB withouT heLp--"

"Barry--" She BegAn bReaThLessly, but He interrUpTeD hEr.

"lisTen to ME," he said hUsKilY, tAkiNg botH Her warM handS in hIs, "i
wANt tO tell yoU SoMEThinG. SAy That i WAs wEak enOugh TO foRget all
That, your mOneY And mY pOvErty, youR life and my lifE, eVerything tHaT
puTs you aS FAr above mE as the moon and stars; say thAT I could Do
tHat
to walk right in. So after  that shemeets  hi m i nthestre et, and the
gi r ls b egin to talk about Agg ie."
" O h, B a rr y, I' m so gl a dy o u'r ein ter es t ed !" St and ing a s tep abovehim ,Sidney's ard e nt  face wasver y close to h isown. " Of  co u rse w e c an do 
it,"s he sai d.

"We!"  h e  echoe d  almost b it terl y. "YOU'LL do it; yo u 're the one--"  He
br ok e  o f f  wi tha short, e mb arras s ed laug h ." I was going to cutthat
sort o f  th ing ou t, " h e  saidgruff ly ,  "b ut all road s le ad to Rom e, its eems. I can't t alk to  yo u f ivem in ut eswi t hou t -- and I'v e got to  g o.  I
sa id I ' d l ookinat t he of fice."

"Yousee m to beafrai d tobe f ri endly  latel y, Ba rr y," said Mrs.
B urgo yne in ahur tvoi ce , fli n ging a way  th e roseshe had bee nh o l di ng,
"but don't you  t h i nk  our fri endshi p  m ea n s someth in g t o me , too?I do n 't 
like yo u to t a lk  a s if Idi d allth e g ivi ng an d  you  all t he takin g. Id on't know howt he girls andI  w o u ld getalo ng withoutyour advi ce a n dhel p  here  at t he Ha l l. I think," her vo ic e brok e int o a troubledlaugh,
"It h i nk you f orge t  t h at the quality  of f riendshipi s not st raine d."

"Si dney," he s aid with  su dde n r eso l u ti on, turning t o face  h er brav ely ,
"I ca n't  be  ju stfr iends wit h you. Y ou 'r eso  mu ch th e  finest,  s o m uc h
t he be s t--" H e lef t th ese n ten ce unfi n is h e d, a nd  b egan  ag ai n: "Y ou h a vea hundr ed men fr ien d s; y ou  c an't re alize what yo umean to me .You --buty o u know w hat you are, and I'm th e  editor  of  a mo rtga ged count rypaper, 
am an who  has m ade a  m ess o f thi n g s,  wh ocan't take c are  of h is  kid , or
hi mself, on his jobw ith out help--"
"Ba rry- - "  s heb eg a n b re a thl e s sly, but he int errupted h er . 
"Listen to me, "he said  huskil y, ta k ing bot h her war m hands i nhis, " I
w ant to tel l you so mething.S ay th a tI WAS  we ak eno ug h t o for get al l 
th at, y our mo ne y andmy po ve rty, you r life and my life, eve rythin g tha t
p uts you a s f a r a bove me a s th e moon and  st ars ; say  th a t I c ould do 
th a t
to walk_right in._So after that she_meets him_in_the street,_and_the
girls begin to_talk about Aggie."

"Oh,_Barry, I'm so glad_you're interested!" Standing_a_step above him,
Sidney's ardent face was very close to his own. "Of course we_can_do
it," she_said.

"We!"_he_echoed almost bitterly. "YOU'LL do_it; you're the one--" He
broke_off with_a short, embarrassed laugh. "I was going to_cut_that
sort of thing_out," he said gruffly, "but all roads lead to_Rome, it
seems. I can't talk to_you five minutes_without--and_I've_got to go. I
said_I'd look in at the office."

"You_seem to be afraid to be_friendly lately, Barry," said Mrs.
Burgoyne in a_hurt voice, flinging away the rose_she had been holding,
"but don't_you think_our friendship means something to_me, too? I_don't
like you_to talk as_if I did all the giving_and you all_the taking. I
don't know how the_girls_and I would_get_along_without your_advice and
help here_at_the Hall._I_think," her voice broke into a_troubled_laugh,
"I think you forget that the quality_of friendship is not_strained."

"Sidney,"_he said with sudden_resolution, turning to face her_bravely,
"I can't be just friends with_you. You're_so much_the finest, so much
the best--" He left the sentence unfinished, and_began again: "You have
a hundred men_friends; you can't realize_what you_mean_to me. You--but
you_know_what you_are, and I'm the editor of a_mortgaged country_paper,
a man who has made a_mess of things, who_can't_take care of his kid, or
himself,_on his job without help--"

"Barry--" she_began breathlessly, but he interrupted_her.

"Listen_to_me," he said huskily, taking_both her warm hands in his,_"I
want to tell_you something. Say that I WAS weak_enough_to forget all
that, your money and_my_poverty, your life and my life,_everything_that
puts_you as far above me_as the moon and stars; say_that I could do
that