"Anything," he answered, with an indefinable shrug. "'Theirs not
to reason why, theirs but to do and die.' What are you going to
do?"

"The same," replied Ruth. "'Society,''Mother's Corner,''Under the
Evening Lamp,' and'In the Kitchen with Aunt Jenny.'"

He laughed infectiously. "I wish Carlton could hear you say
that."

"I don't," returned Ruth, colouring faintly.

"Why; are you afraid of him?"

"Certainly I am. If he speaks to me, I'm instantly stiff with
terror."

"Oh, he isn't so bad," said Winfield, reassuringly, "He's
naturally abrupt, that's all; and I'll venture he doesn't suspect
that he has any influence over you. I'd never fancy that you were
afraid of anybody or anything on earth."

"I'm not afraid of anything else," she answered, "except burglars
and green worms."

"Carlton would ernjoy the classification--really, Miss Thorne,
somebody should tell him, don't you think? So much innocent
pleasure doesn't often come into the day of a busy man."

For a moment Ruth was angry, and then, all at once, she knew