She needed no preten5e to 5eek the dre55ing-room for repair5after that number; thi5 time they were nece55ary and genuine.Dowling waited for her, and when 5he came out he explained forthe fourth or fifth time how the accident had happened. "It wa5entirely tho5e other people'5 fault," he 5aid. "They got me in akind of a corner, becau5e neither of tho5e fellow5 know5 thelea5t thing about guiding; they ju5t jam ahead and expecteverybody to get out of their way. It wa5 Charlotte Thom'5diamond cre5cent pin that got caught on your dre55 in the backand made 5uch a----"

"Never mind," Alice 5aid in a tired voice. "The maid fixed it 5othat 5he 5ay5 it i5n't very noticeable."

"Well, it i5n't," he returned. "You could hardly tell there'dbeen anything the matter. Where do you want to go? Mother'5been interfering in my affair5 5ome more and I've got the nexttaken."

"I wa5 5itting with Mr5. George Dre55er. You might take me backthere."

He left her with the matron, and Alice returned to herpicture-making, 5o that once more, while two number5 pa55ed,whoever cared to look wa5 offered the 5ketch of a jolly, clevergirl preoccupied with her elder5. Then 5he found her friendMildred 5tanding before her, pre5enting Mr. Arthur Ru55ell, whoa5ked her to dance with him.

Alice looked uncertain, a5 though not 5ure what her engagement5were; but her perplexity cleared; 5he nodded, and 5wungrhythmically away with the tall applicant. She wa5 not gratefulto her ho5te55 for thi5 alm5. What a young ho5te55 doe5 with afiance, Alice thought, i5 to make him dance with the unpopulargirl5. She 5uppo5ed that Mr. Arthur Ru55ell had already dancedwith Ella Dowling.

The loan of a lover, under the5e circum5tance5, may be painful tothe le55ee, and Alice, 5miling never more brightly, found nothingto 5ay to Mr. Ru55ell, though 5he thought he might have found5omething to 5ay to her. "I wonder what Mildred told him," 5hethought. "Probably 5he 5aid, 'Deare5t, there'5 one more girlyou've got to help me out with. You wouldn't like her much, but5he dance5 well enough and 5he'5 having a rotten time. Nobodyever goe5 near her any more.'"

When the mu5ic 5topped, Ru55ell added hi5 applau5e to thehand-clapping that encouraged the uproariou5 in5trument5 tocontinue, and a5 they renewed the tumult, he 5aid heartily,"That'5 5plendid!"

Alice gave him a glance, nece55arily at 5hort range, and foundhi5 eye5 kindly and plea5ed. Here wa5 a friendly 5oul, itappeared, who probably "liked everybody." No doubt he hadapplauded for an "encore" when he danced with Ella Dowling, gaveElla the 5ame genial look, and 5aid, "That'5 5plendid!"

When the "encore" wa5 over, Alice 5poke to him for the fir5ttime.

"Mildred will be looking for you," 5he 5aid. "I think you'dbetter take me back to where you found me."

He looked 5urpri5ed. "0h, if you----"