“I—­I don’t know,” the girl confessed, with\ embarrassment.  Then bridling, added:  “Well, but I don’t care shucks about that.  I have money enough for both—­or shall have next year, when I am twenty-one.”

“I am afraid he is of the same opinion,” Katherine said, to herself; but, thinking it might be unwise to dwell upon that point, made no reply.

“You are not going to tell anyone, honey,” Sadie pleaded, and pausing upon the steps before entering the building.  “I think it will be downright mean if you do,” she added, hotly, as she saw the troubled look on her chum’s face.

“Sadie, I wouldn’t for the world do anything for the sake of being ‘mean’; but I am sure you are doing very wrong, and will deeply regret it some day,” was the grave reply.

“If you give me away it will get me into an awful scrape.”

“I know it; and my greatest concern is to save you from anything of the kind.  Will you stop meeting Mr. Willard on the sly?”

“Oh, Katherine, and not see him at all!” exclaimed Sadie, in a voice of dismay.

“Dear, are you so fond of him?” queried Katherine, gently.

The girl flushed from neck to brow.

“Indeed—­indeed, I am,” she confessed, with downcast eyes.

“Well, then, if it has gone that far he should at least allow you to respect him!” said Katherine, a thrill of indignation vibrating in her tones.  “Don’t go on this way, Sadie,” she pleaded; “write him that you cannot meet him again in any such way; but tell him, if he will make himself known to your guardian, and get his permission to call upon you, you will receive him here.”

“If I will do that, will you promise not to say anything about to-night?” demanded the girl, eagerly.

“Yes,” Katherine replied, after a moment of thought; at the same time she did not feel quite satisfied with the state of affairs.

“All right; I will write Ned to-morrow and tell him,” Sadie returned, with a sigh of relief as they entered the building and passed on to their room.

Before going to rest, Katherine slipped away to see Miss Reynolds and ascertain if she could do anything for her before retiring.

She found her reading, but Miss Reynolds at once laid down her book and welcomed the girl with a bright smile.

“I am all right, Kathie, and I have been having a perfect feast,” she said, touching the “Science and Health” in her lap.

They spent a few minutes in social chat, then she sent Katherine away, saying she must make up the sleep she had lost the night before, and our faithful little Scientist was glad, after her busy day, to seek her couch, where she was soon sleeping peacefully and knew no more until she awoke the next morning to find the bright May sunshine flooding her room, and told herself, with a sigh of content, that it was the Sabbath, and a whole restful day of truth and love before her.

She was made happy, on descending to breakfast, to find Miss Reynolds in her accustomed seat.  They exchanged smiling glances, and, later, the teacher said, in a low tone: