"No, I shouldn't," Mildred answered in a low voice, and with that
she turned quickly, and came to sit near her mother. "But it's
what I am afraid of! Mama, did you notice how red he got?"

"You mean when he was caught not listening to a question of mine?
Yes; it's very becoming to him."

"Mama, I don't think that was the reason. I don't think it was
because he wasn't listening, I mean."

"No?"

"I think his colour and his not listening came from the same
reason," Mildred said, and although she had come to sit near her
mother, she did not look at her. "I think it happened because
you and papa----" She stopped.

"Yes?" Mrs. Palmer said, good-naturedly, to prompt her. "Your
father and I did something embarrassing?"

"Mama, it was because of those things that came out about Alice
Adams."

"How could that bother Arthur? Does he know her?"

"Don't you remember?" the daughter asked. "The day after my
dance I mentioned how odd I thought it was in him--I was a little
disappointed in him. I'd been seeing that he met everybody, of
course, but she was the only girl HE asked to meet; and he did it