s. Ladue made no inquiries concerning that point, being glad to put the most favorable construction possible upon the matter and, perhaps, afraid that she would

to bully a little. Whatever course he might take, she would be no better off. So, as I said, she made no inquiries, which may

act. Mrs. Ladue was aware of the state of mind that he would be in, from experience, I suppose; an experience which she did not seem at all anxious to repeat. Sally was aware of it, too, and even Charlie seemed to realize that any meeting with his father was to be avoided. So i

and tried to apply himself to his work. In this, as he undoubtedly expected, he was not very successful. He would not have expected one of his own students to be able to apply himself to work with any success under similar circumstances, whatever those circumstances were. So he pushed his work aside

and he was forgetting about his eyes, which ached as if the pressure of blood behind the eyeballs was forcing them out of his head. He didn't know but it was; but it didn't matter. And he was forgetting ab

ing child. He sprang to his feet and threw up the window, almost in one motion. Sally did not move a muscle; not even her eyes. He did not say the sharp things that were on the tip of his ton

g there?" The look in his eyes had softened. You

ally answered, brief

in which to express his exasperation. This was an unusual

own," Sally returned.

break yo

made n

get dow

, fa

he had meant to speak. "Don't you know that it must anno

n a colorless voice. "I beg your pardon. But I wasn't spyin

oothold. Her father watched her as she went from one insecure hold to another. It must have appeared to him a perilous descent, one would suppose; but I do not

d; "don't you wan

y greatly surprised. She

room?"

ther impatiently, "of

or pressing the point. She did not wish to ma

nsider it a great honor if Miss Sally Ladue would favor me with her company at the present

ly. "I'll come

it just as it was asked. It is to be supposed that she was aware of the question and that she knew the answer. Sally was a truthful youn

came in. His head was a little better. Perhaps the tiny hammers had n

for some minutes and Sally had been watching

r," she answered. "I

hought you would. You were just barely warm, Sally. It is a distant relative of the alligator; perhaps I should call it a connection. The th

A small one! A small

tell you very glibly. They don't know anything about it except that it was a long time. I know that. This little lizard is a kind

e," Sally murmured,

have been able to fly. See! These seem to be the beginning of his wing bones. There are some bones missing, so that I can't tell, yet, w

been thinking and her interest in the sk

cheerfully answered, provided that I know the answer. If I do not know the answer, and hav

h was entirely unexpected; entire

managed to suppress her chuckles, "the

n. Or, more probably, he flew mor

to the tops

topmost branches

coal

ustomarily ate furnace coal, middle-sized lizards

aughter. In all her experience of her fathe

littlest

tiniest babies ate buckwheat coal. Very nourishing, chest

s still

coal we are burning in the stove and the furnace and to make steam. I see no reason to doubt that this little lizard could

pose he did. And what did he

e professor, "except tree

ather disappointing. But I

d be puzzling my brains over. It would be somewhat disconcerting, Sally, to find a skeleton of a litt

Miss Sally Ladue's skeleton?" a

If there were no other means of identifying it, I should know it

ump of inqui

u." Sally obediently handed him the skull. "There it is," he continued. "You can s

ly

e began, feeling of he

irming but giggling irre

essor gravely; "unexpectedly large, even

yesterday," Sally said.

uck out in a most inappropriate and uncomfortable way and was made more inappropriate

"I wish I could fly into the

e trees very

om the top of a tall tree. The trouble is that you can't

re thickest, and find that I can't get any higher and can't see anything to speak of, either. And twigs that you wouldn't hesitate to trust yourself upon, Sa

. "Did you climb trees whe

wn the other. Tallest trees I could find, too. Hundreds of feet high.

Sally, clapp

professor. "Why, there was

t this point, by a ge

her's knock, Sally. Will y

dly, it must be confessed-to see what it was all about. If her heart was fluttering a little with symptoms of hope, as she came,

e develop in its own lovely manner or to check it and let it fade away, according to circumstances. Sally held

ard," he said, "and were variously entertainin

e. It was a very lovely smile, almost tender. Professor Ladue should have been a ve

Sally go on with your session and let me be a visitor? It must have been

," she said. "You were going to tell m

g and enjoying it intensely. Of course Mrs. Ladue enjoyed it. The professor seemed so genial and care-free that she reproached herself for her doubts.

-can you let me have this week's money for the house? Kat

rily. "Money? What's money? Certainly, my dear. Help

s to hide some embarrassment; perhaps it was only to indicate that, so far

eep any hint of reproach out of her voic

anything to lose," Professor Ladue replied no

you notify

ice, yet." He smiled dryly as he spoke. "

stion further. There were tears

y, "wasn't it fun? Did you ever k

f fun and nonsense before we were

d her daughter, bu