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〃Why　does　he　treat　metreat　youlike　two　naughty　little　children？〃　said　Pauline；　impatiently　tossing　the　book　on　the　table。

〃Pauline！〃　　Her　mother's　voice　was　sharp　in　reproof。　　〃How　can　you　place　any　one　before　your　father！〃

Pauline　was　silentshe　had　dropped　the　veil　over　herself。　　〃IIwhere　did　you　place　fatherwhenwhen〃　　Her　eyes　were　laughing　again。

〃You　know　he'd　never　oppose　your　happiness；　Polly。〃　　Mrs。　Gardiner　was　smoothing　her　daughter's　turbulent　red…brown　hair。　　〃You'll　only　have　to　wait　under　a　little　more　trying　circumstances。　　And　if　he's　right；　the　truth　will　come　out。　　And　if　he's　mistaken　and　John's　all　you　think　him；　then　that　will　come　out。〃

Pauline　knew　her　father　was　not　opposing　her　through　tyranny　or　pride　of　opinion　or　sheer　prejudice；　but　she　felt　that　this　was　another　case　of　age's　lack　of　sympathy　with　youth；　felt　it　with　all　the　intensity　of　infatuated　seventeen　made　doubly　determined　by　opposition　and　concealment。　　The　next　evening　he　and　she　were　walking　together　in　the　garden。　　He　suddenly　put　his　arm　round　her　and　drew　her　close　to　him　and　kissed　her。

〃You　know　I　shouldn't　if　I　didn't　think　it　the　only　coursedon't　you；　Pauline？〃　he　said　in　a　broken　voice　that　went　straight　to　her　heart。

〃Yes；　father。〃　　Then；　after　a　silence：　　〃Butwewe've　been　sweethearts　since　we　were　children。　　AndIfather；　I　MUST　stand　by　him。〃

〃Won't　you　trust　me；　child？　　Won't　you　believe　ME　rather　than　him？〃

Pauline's　only　answer　was　a　sigh。　　They　loved　each　the　other；　he　adored　her；　she　reverenced　him。　　But　between　them；　thick　and　high；　rose　the　barrier　of　custom　and　training。　　Comradeship；　confidence　were　impossible。



II。

OLIVIA　TO　THE　RESCUE。


With　the　first　glance　into　Olivia's　dark　gray　eyes　Pauline　ceased　to　resent　her　as　an　intruder。　　And　soon　she　was　feeling　that　some　sort　of　dawn　was　assailing　her　night。

Olivia　was　the　older　by　three　years。　　She　seemedand　for　her　years；　wasserious　and　wise　because；　as　the　eldest　of　a　large　family；　she　was　lieutenant…general　to　her　mother。　　Further；　she　had　always　had　her　own　waywhen　it　was　the　right　way　and　did　not　conflict　with　justice　to　her　brothers　and　sisters。　　And　often　her　parents　let　her　have　her　own　way　when　it　was　the　wrong　way；　nor　did　they　spoil　the　lesson　by　mitigating　disagreeable　consequences。

〃Do　as　you　please；〃　her　mother　used　to　say；　when　doing　as　she　pleased　would　involve　less　of　mischief　than　of　valuable　experience；　〃and　perhaps　you'll　learn　to　please　to　do　sensibly。〃　　Again。　her　father　would　restrain　her　mother　from　interference〃Oh；　let　the　girl　alone。　　She's　got　to　teach　herself　how　to　behave；　and　she　can't　begin　a　minute　too　young。〃　　This　training　had　produced　a　self…reliant　and　self…governing　Olivia。

She　wondered　at　the　change　in　PaulinePauline；　the　light…hearted；　the　effervescent　of　laughter　and　life；　now　silent　and　almost　somber。　　It　was　two　weeks　before　she；　not　easily　won　to　the　confiding　mood　for　all　her　frankness；　let　Olivia　into　her　secret。　　Of　course；　it　was　at　night；　of　course；　they　were　in　the　same　bed。　　And　when　Olivia　had　heard　she　came　nearer　to　the　truth　about　Dumont　than　had　Pauline's　mother。　　But；　while　she　felt　sure　there　was　a　way　to　cure　Pauline；　she　knew　that　way　was　not　the　one　which　had　been　pursued。　　〃They've　only　made　her　obstinate；〃　she　thought；　as　she；　lying　with　hands　clasped　behind　her　head；　watched　Pauline；　propped　upon　an　elbow；　staring　with　dreamful　determination　into　the　moonlight。

〃It'll　come　out　all　right；〃　she　said；　her　voice　always　suggested　that　she　knew　what　she　was　talking　about。　　〃Your　father'll　give　in　sooner　or　laterif　YOU　don't　change。〃

〃But　he's　so　bitter　against　Jack；〃　replied　Pauline。　　〃He　won't　listen　to　his　sideto　our　sideof　it。〃

〃Anyhow；　what's　the　use　of　anticipating　trouble？　　You　wouldn't　get　married　yet。　　And　if　he's　worthwhile　he'll　wait。〃

Pauline　had　been　even　gentler　than　her　own　judgment　in　painting　her　lover　for　her　cousin's　inspection。　　So；　she　could　not　explain　to　her　why　there　was　necessity　for　haste；　could　not　confess　her　conviction　that　every　month　he　lived　away　from　her　was　a　month　of　peril　to　him。

〃We　want　it　settled；〃　she　said　evasively。

〃I　haven't　seen　him　around　anywhere；〃　went　on　Olivia。　　〃Is　he　here　now？〃

〃He's　in　Chicagoin　charge　of　his　father's　office　there。　　He　may　stay　all　winter。〃

〃No；　there's　no　hurry；〃　went　on　Olivia。　　〃Besides；　you　ought　to　meet　other　men。　　It　isn't　a　good　idea　for　a　girl　to　marry　the　man　she's　been　brought　up　with　before　she's　had　a　chance　to　get　acquainted　with　other　men。〃　　Olivia　drew　this　maxim　from　experienceshe　had　been　engaged　to　a　school…days　lover　when　she　went　away　to　Battle　Field　to　college；　she　broke　it　off　when；　going　home　on　vacation；　she　saw　him　again　from　the　point　of　wider　view。

But　Pauline　scorned　this　theory；　if　Olivia　had　confessed　the　broken　engagement　she　would　have　thought　her　shallow　and　untrustworthy。　　She　was　confident；　with　inexperience's　sublime　incapacity　for　self…doubt；　that　in　all　the　wide　world　there　was　only　one　man　whom　she　could　have　loved　or　could　love。

〃Oh；　I　shan't　change；〃　she　said　in　a　tone　that　warned　her　cousin　against　discussion。

〃At　any　rate；〃　replied　Olivia；　〃a　little　experience　would　do　you　no　harm。〃　　She　suddenly　sat　up　in　bed。　　〃A　splendid　idea！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Why　not　come　to　Battle　Field　with　me？〃

〃I'd　like　it；〃　said　Pauline；　always　eager　for　self…improvement　and　roused　by　Olivia's　stories　of　her　college　experiences。　　〃But　father'd　never　let　me　go　to　Battle　Field　College。〃

〃Battle　Field　UNIVERSITY；〃　corrected　Olivia。　　〃It　has　classical　courses　and　scientific　courses　and　a　preparatory　schooland　a　military　department　for　men　and　a　music　department　for　women。　　And　it's　going　to　have　lots　and　lots　of　real　university　schoolswhen　it　gets　the　money。　　And　there's　a　healthy；　middle…aged　wagon…maker　who's　said　to　be　thinking　of　leaving　it　a　million　or　soif　he　should　ever　die　and　if　they　should　change　its　name　to　his。〃

〃But　it's　coeducation；　isn't　it？　　Father　would　never　consent。　　It　was　all　mother　could　do　to　persuade　him　to　let　me　go　to　public　school。〃

〃But　maybe　he'd　let　you　go　with　me；　where　he　wouldn't　let　you　go　all　alone。〃

And　so　it　turned　out。　　Colonel　Gardiner；　anxious　to　get　his　daughter　away　from　Saint　X　and　into　new　scenes　where　Dumont　might　grow　dim；　consented　as　soon　as　Olivia　explained　her　plan。


Instead　of　entering　〃senior　prep〃；　Pauline　was　able　to　make　freshman　with　only　three　conditions。　　In　the　first　week　she　was　initiated　into　Olivia's　fraternity；　the　Kappa　Alpha　Kappa；　joined　the　woman's　literary　and　debating　society；　and　was　fascinated　and　absorbed　by　crowding　new　events；　associations；　occupations；　thoughts。　　In　spite　of　herself　her　old…time　high　spirits　came　flooding　back。　　She　caught　herself　hummingand　checked　herself　reproachfully。　　She　caught　herself　singingand　lowered　it　to　humming。　　She　caught　herself　whistlingand　decided　that　she　might　as　well　be　cheerful　while　she　waited　for　fate　to　befriend　her　and　Jack。　　And　she　found　that　she　thought　about　him　none　the　less　steadfastly　for　thinking　hopefully。

Battle　Field　put　no　more　restraint　upon　its　young　women　than　it　put　upon　its　young　menand　it　put　no　restraint　upon　the　young　men。　　In　theory　and　practice　it　was　democratic；　American；　westernan　outgrowth　of　that　pioneer　life　in　which　the　men　and　the　women　had　fought　and　toiled　and　enjoyed；　side　by　side；　in　absolute　equality；　with　absolute　freedom　of　association。　　It　recognized　that　its　students　had　been　brought　up　in　the　free；　simple；　frank　way；　that　all　came　from　a　region　where　individualism　was　a　religion；　with　self…reliance　as　the　cardinal　principle　of　faith　and　self…development　as　the　goal。

There　were　no　dormitories　at　Battle　Field　then。　　Olivia　and　Pauline　lived　in　one　of　the　hundred　or　more　boarding…housesa　big；　square；　white　〃frame；〃　kept　by　a　Mrs。　Trent；　the　widow　of　a　〃hero　of　two　wars。〃

Her　hero　had　won　her　with　his　uniform　when　he　returned　from　the　Mexican　War。　　His　conduct　was　so　irregular　and　his　income　so　uncertain　that　it　had　been　a　relief　to　her　when　he　departed　for　his　second　war。　　From　it　he　had　brought　home　a　broken　constitution；　a　maimed　body　and　confirmed　habits　of　shiftlessness　and　drunkenness。　　His　country　took　his　character　and　his　health　and　paid　him　in　exchange　a　pension　which　just　about　kept　him　in　whisky　and　tobacco。　　So　long　as　he　was　alive　Mrs。　Trent　hated　him　as　vigorously　as　her　Christianity　permitted。　　When　he　was　safely　in　his　grave　she　canonized　him；　she　put　his　picture　and　his　sword；　belt　and　epaulets　in　the　conspicuous　place　in　the　parlor；　she　used　his　record　for　gallantry　to　get　herself　social　position　and　a　place　of　honor　at　public　gatherings。

Her　house　stood　back　from　the　highway　in　a　grove　of　elms　and　walnuts。　　Its　angularity　was　relieved　by　a　porch　with　a　flat　roof　that　had　a　railing　about　it　and　served　as　a　balcony　for　the　second…story　lodgers。　　There　were　broad　halls　through　the　middle　of　the　house　down…stairs　and　up。　　Olivia　and　Pauline　had　the　three　large　rooms　in　the　second　story　on　the　south　side。　　They　used　the　front　room　as　a　study　and　Pauline's　bedroom　was　next　to　it。

Late　one　afternoon　she　was　seated　at　the　study　window　watching　a　cherry…red　sun　drop　through　the　purple　haze　of　the　autumn。　　She　became　conscious　that　some　one　was　on　the　balcony　before　the　window　of　the　front　room　across　the　hall。　　She　leaned　so　that　she　could　see　without　being　seen。　　Sharp　against　the　darkening　sky　was　the　profile　of　a　young　man。　　Olivia　joined　her　and　followed　her　glance。　　The　profile　remained　fixed　and　the　two　girls　watched　it；　fascinated。　　It　certainly　was　a　powerful　outline；　proud　and　stern；　but　with　a　mouth　that　was　sweet　in　its　kindliness　and　gentleness。

〃I　wonder　what　he's　thinking　about；〃　said　Olivia；　in　an　undertone；　he　was　not　fifteen　feet　from　them。　　〃I　suppose；　some　scheme　for　conquering　the　world。〃

Most　of　Battle　Field's　youth　came　from　the　farms　of　that　western　country；　the　young　men　with　bodies　and　brains　that　were　strong　but　awkward。　　Almost　all　were　working　their　way　throughas　were　not　a　few　of　the　women。　　They　felt　that　life　was　a　large；　serious　business　impatiently　waiting　for　them　to　come　and　attend　to　it　in　a　large；　serious　way　better　than　it　had　ever　be