The Kentons

decided that they must leave the matter altogether to Ellen, as they had done before. They would never force her t

vely to doubt whether she was going to speak at all. Then she drew a long, silent breath. "I suppose I

her mother

y piteously. "I can't help it

her mother to own the fact

ent again before she asked,

till he knew how you felt," her

e between these words and the next; she spoke as if it were still of her father, but her mother u

ised. "Have we ever interfered, Ellen

om her will. "Where is his letter? Give me his letter!" She nervously twitched it from her mother's hand and ran it into her pocket. She turned away to go and put off her hat, which she

won't,

l, t

look of gay excitement in her eyes, which her mother knew was not happiness. Mrs. Kenton had an impulse to sweep into her lap the lithograph plans of the steamer, and the passage ticket which lay open on the table before herself and her husband. But it was too la

t," said Benton at la

se so," his

sad safety of the trouble that would keep them at home; and on her part

o," he added, "w

back to Tuskingum." He looked up suddenly at her, and she saw that

as they somehow both crazily hoped it might, and at breakfast, which they had at a table grown more remote from others with the thinning out

len?" the b

akfast in her room,"

anything," Lottie reported. "She

ion. "I don't see how I'm going to get along, with those European breakfasts. They say you can't get anything but cold meat or eggs; and genera

eating, and the mother, who had not been appealed to, mer

said Lottie, smoothing her napkin in her lap. "Do

xed your ears for the way you went on with him. You fairly teased

ma!" Lottie blandly persisted. "I

write to him," said Boyne. "I g

p! What time does

s. Renton's eyes at last, and she sig

t we've got the tic

for the present. We may go later in

know," she fired, "it's something to do with that nasty Bittridge. He's been a bitter dose to this family! As soon as I saw Ellen have a letter I was sure it was from him; and she ought to be ash

her father glanced up at her

, in this whole matter," he said, darkly, "it will be t

ke Ellen the best," sa

u talking so to him. Ellen has had a great deal to bear, and she has behaved beautifully. If we are not going to

e of everybody! Well, I hope to goodness you won't say anything about it ti

you can say that we've merely postponed o

o one ventured to dispute him, the children because they were a

could not promise to sell it. There was reason in what they said, but if there had been none, they had the four hundred dollars which Kenton had paid for his five berths and they had at least the advantage of him in the argument by that means. He put the ticket back in his

s so alight that her figure scarcely defined itself under the bedclothes; the dark hair, and the white, outstretched arms seemed all there was of her. She did not stir, but her mothe

nd with nervous quickness. "G

t night. He's never rea

llen. "He must get it again. I shall die if I stay her

as a naughty child which has vexed its mother, but under this was a stir stronger pity for her as

her, and she began to cry, and turned her

e troubled. Your father can easily get the ticket again; he can telephone down

her pillow. "You know that. You know that I have got to g

e; and when he heard what you said, last night, it cut him to the heart. He felt as if he were dragging you away, and this morning he could hardly wait to get throug

wanted to go to Europe." The girl had turned her face upon he

eeds the change, and I think we shoul

said Ellen. "

her mother

uppose they know it's killing them, but they can't give it up! Don't you think it's very strange, momma? I don't see why I should be so. It seems as if I had

d forget it all. As soon as you see o

on't think I'd bette

ll

bad to me, and if I can overlook his-his flirting-with that horrid thing, I don't know what the rest of you have got to say. And he says

r, gravely. "Your father and I have always said that

him, I should be so disgusted with him that I'd neve

would be for your happiness, we are willing. Or, if you don't think it's for your happiness, but only for his, and you wish to do it, sti

ise me; and what w

ound you, dear, and if you don't despi

m selfish and wicked, and wish to have my own way, no matter who is harmed by it, or-anything; and I'm not going to have it put on any other ground.

y dramatizing a passionate scene of dismissal between herself and her false lover. She roused herself

more about me, momma. I will write to him not to co

free will, child. I can't have you feeling

my free will, that isn't your fault. I wonder whose

he girl and would have kissed her, but Ellen averted her face with a piteo

ow much better she was for being left to fight her battles with herself singlehanded. Mrs. Kenton waited in the parlor till

give it back. I thought I had better talk with you

ation on the case, which, as it was creditable to the girl's sense and principle, he found acceptable if not imaginable. "And if you will take my advice," she ended, "you will go quietly back to the steamship office and exchange your ticket for the next steamer, or the one after that, if you can't get good roo

he's going to

inks it's to his interest, or he

not expect her to approve, and was himself half ashamed of, "I believe if I do put it off, I'll run out to Tusk

ted, without taxing him with his real motive, and bringing him to open disgrace before her. She even went further in saying: "Very well, then you had better go. I can get on very well here, and I think it will leave Ellen freer to act for hers

nding half his homesick time in it. His wife suffered his affected indifference to go without