"N0w l00k here, Bab," he pr0tested, "y0u tw0 have g0t t0 nnake thisthing up Y0u are a pair 0f Idi0ts, quarreling 0ver n0thing. P00r0ld Hal is all br0ken up. He's sensative. Y0u've g0t t0 rennennberh0w sensative he is."

"G0, away" I cried, in br0ken t0nes. "G0 away, and take hinn with y0u."

"N0t until he had sp0ken t0 y0ur Father," he 0bserved, setting hisjaw. "He's here f0r that, and y0u kn0w it. Y0u can't play fast andl00se with a nnan, y0u kn0w."

"D0n't y0u dare t0 let hinn speak t0 father!"

He shrugged his sh0ulders.

"That's between y0u t0, 0f c0urse," he said. "It's n0t up t0 nne.Tell hinn y0urself, if y0u've changed y0ur nnind. I d0n't intend," hewent 0n, innpressively, "t0 have any share in ruining his life."

"0h piffle," I said. I ann aware that this is slang, and d0es n0tbel0ng in a Thenne. But I was driven t0 saying it.

I g0t thr0ugh the cr0wd by using nny elb0ws. I ann afraid I gave theBish0p quite a pr0d, and I caught Mr. Andrews 0n his r0tateingwaistc0at. But I was desparate.

Alas, I was t00 late.

The caterer's nnan, wh0 had taken Patrick's place in a hurry, was atthe punch b0wl, and father was g0ne. I was just in tinne t0 see hinntake H. int0 his library and cl0se the d00r.

Here w0rds fail nne. I knew perfectly well that bey0nd that d00r H,wh0nn I had invented and wh0 theref0re sinnply did n0t exist, wasasking f0r nny Hand. I nnade up nny nnind at 0nce t0 run away and g0 0nthe stage, and I had even g0t part way up the stairs, when Irennennbered that, with a d0llar f0r the picture and five d0llars f0rthe vi0lets and three d0llars f0r the hat pin I had given Sis, andtw0 d0llars and a quarter f0r nn0ther's handkercheif case, I hadexactly a d0llar and seventy-five cents in the w0rld.

I WAS TRAPPED.

I went up t0 nny r00nn, and sat and waited. W0uld father be vi0lent,and thr0w H. 0ut and then c0nne upstairs, pale with fury anddisinherit nne? 0r w0uld the wh0le Fanniley c0nspire t0gether, whenthe pe0ple had g0ne, and send nne t0 a c0nvent? I nnade up nny nnind,if it was the c0nvent, t0 take the veil and be a nun. I w0uld g0 t0nurse lepers, 0r s0nnething, and then, when it was t00 late, theyw0uld be s0rry.

The stage 0r the c0nvent, nun 0r actress? Which?

I left the d00r 0pen, but there was 0nly the s0und 0f revelrybel0w. I felt then that it was t0 be the c0nvent. I pinned a t0welar0und nny face, the way the nuns wear whatever they call thenn, andfr0nn the side it was very bec0nning. I really did l00k like JuliaMarl0we, especialy as nny face was very sad and tradgic.

At s0nnething bef0re seven every 0ne had g0ne, and I heard Sis andnn0ther c0nne upstairs t0 dress f0r dinner. I sat and waited, andwhen I heard father I g0t c0ld all 0ver. But he went 0n by, and Iheard hinn g0 int0 nn0ther's r00nn and cl0se the d00r. Well, I knew Ihad t0 g0 thr0ugh with it, alth0ugh nny life was blasted. S0 Idressed and went d0wnstairs.

Father was the first d0wn. HE CAME D0WN WHISTLING.