He set his mouth hard and crossed the road. He had just reached his own yard when there was the pale flutter of a skirt out of the darkness before him, and a little shadowy figure met him with a soft shock. The was a smothered nervous titter from the figure. Barney did not know who it was; he muttered an apology, and was about to pass into his yard when Rose Berry's voice arrested him. It was quite trembling and uncertain; all the laughter had gone out of it. "Oh, it's you," said she; "you frightened me. I didn't know who it was." Barney felt suddenly annoyed without knowing why. "Oh, is it you, Rose?" he returned, stiffly. "It's a pleasant evening;" then he turned. "Barney!" Rose said, and her voice sounded as if she were weeping. Barney stopped and waited. "I want to know if--you're mad with me, Barney." "No, of course I ain't; why?" "I thought you'd acted kind of queer to me lately." Barney stood still, frowning in the darkness. "I don't know what you mean," he said at length. "I don't know how I've treated you any different from any of the girls." "You haven't been to see me, and--you've hardly spoken to me since the cherry party." "I haven't been to see anybody," said Barney, shortly; and he turned away again, but Rose caught his arm. "Then you are sure you aren't mad with me?" she whispered. "Of course I'm sure," Barney returned, impatiently. "It would kill me if you were," Rose whispered. She pressed close to him; he could feel her softly panting against his side, her head sunk on his shoulder. "I've been worrying about it all these months," she said in his ear. Her soft curly hair brushed his cheek, but her little transient influence over him was all gone. He felt angry and ashamed. "I haven't thought anything about it," he said, brusquely. Rose sobbed faintly, but she did not move away from him. Suddenly that cruel repulsion which seizes mankind towards reptiles and unsought love seized Barney. He unclasped her clinging hands, and fairly pushed her away from him. "Good-night, Rose," he said, shortly, and turned, and went up the path to his own door with determined strides. "Barney!" Rose called after him; but he paid no attention. She even ran up the path after him; but the door shut, and she turned back. She was trembling from head to foot, there was a great rushing in her ears; but she heard a quick light step behind her when she got out on the road, and she hurried on before it with a vague dread. She almost ran at length; but the footsteps gained on her. A dark skirt brushed her light-colored one, and Charlotte's voice, full of contempt and indignation, said in her ear: "Oh, I thought it was you." "I--was coming up--to your--house," Rose faltered; she could hardly get her breath to speak. "Why didn't you come, then?" demanded Charlotte. "What made you go to Barney Thayer's?" "I didn't," said Rose, in feeble self-defence. "He was out in the road--I--just stopped to--speak to him--"