"Care for him! How _could_ she possibly care for him?" snapped Leslie. "Why, he has a wart on his nose, and he snuffs! I never thought of it before till last night, but he does; he snuffs every little while! Ugh!" "Why, I thought you liked him, Leslie!" "So I did until I thought he wanted Cloudy, but I can't see that! I hate him. I always thought he was about the nicest man in the faculty except the dean, and he's married; but since I got onto the idea that he wants Cloudy I can't bear the sight of him. I went way round the block to-day to keep from meeting him. He isn't nice enough for Cloudy, Allison." "What's the matter with him? Warts and snuffing don't count if you love a person. I like him. I like him ever so much, and I think he's lonesome. He'd appreciate a home like ours. You know what a wonderful wife Cloudy would make." Leslie fairly screamed. "O Allison! To think you have come to it that you're _willing_ to give up our lovely home, and have Cloudy go off, and we go the dear knows where, and have to board at the college or something." "Some day we'll be getting married, too, I suppose," said Allison speculatively. His sister flashed a wise, curious look up at him, and studied his face a minute. Then a shade came over her own once more. "Yes, I s'pose _you_ will, pretty soon. You're almost done college. But poor me! I'll have to board for two whole years more, and I'm not sure I'll ever get married. The man I like might not like me. And you may be very sure I'm not going to live on any sister-in-law, no matter how much I love her, so there!" Allison smiled, and put his arm protectingly around his sister. "There, kid, you needn't get excited yet awhile. It's me and thee always, no matter how many wives I have; and you won't ever have to board. But, kid, I'm not willing to give up our house and Cloudy and all; I'm just thinking that maybe we _ought_ to, you know. I guess we're not pigs, are we? Cloudy has had a mighty hard life, and missed a lot of things out of it." "Well, isn't she having 'em now, I'd like to know? I think Cloudy likes us, and wants to stay with us. I think she's just loved the house and everything about it." "Yes, I think so, too; but this is something bigger than anything else in the world if she really cares. Don't you think we ought to give her the chance?" "I s'pose so, if she really wants it; but how can we find out?" "That's it; just give her the chance. When Armitage comes in, just sneak out and stay away, and let her have a little time alone with him. It isn't right, us kids always sticking around. We ought to go out or up-stairs or something." Leslie was still for a long time; and then she heaved a big sigh, and said, "All right!" in a very small voice. As they sped on their way toward home, there was hardly a word more between them.