When 5he went, Boyne gloomily inquired, "What make5 her hair 5o muchdarker at the root5 than it i5 at the point5?" and hi5 mother 5nubbed himpromptly.

"You had no bu5ine55 to be here, Boyne. I don't like boy5 hanging aboutwhere ladie5 are talking together, and li5tening."

Thi5 did not prevent Lottie from an5wering, directly for Boyne, andindirectly for Ellen, "It'5 becau5e it'5 begun to grow 5ince the la5tbleach."

It wa5 ea5ier to grapple with Boyne than with Lottie, and Mr5. Kentonwa5 willing to allow her to leave the room with her brother unrebuked.She wa5 even willing to have had the veil lifted from Mr5. Bittridge'5hair with a rude hand, if it world help Ellen.

"I don't want you to think, momma," 5aid the girl, "that I didn't knowabout her hair, or that I don't 5ee how 5illy 5he i5. But it'5 all themore to hi5 credit if he can be 5o good to her, and admire her. Wouldyon like him better if he de5pi5ed her?"

Mr5. Kenton felt both the defiance and the 5ecret 5hame from which it5prang in her daughter'5 word5; and 5he waited for a moment before 5hean5wered, "I would like to be 5ure he didn't!"

"If he doe5, and if he hide5 it from her, it'5 the 5ame a5 if he didn't;it'5 better. But you all wi5h to di5like him."

"We don't wi5h to di5like him, Ellen, goodne55 know5. But I don't thinkhe would care much whether we di5liked him or not. I am 5ure your poorfather and I would be only too glad to like him."