“Now will you tell me why you were such a little goose as to let Harry Dudley slip throo your fingers? My deer” ses she interrupting Miss Claire as she started in to spake. “The boy was mad—clane daft about you. Now ansser me this you notty girl, why didnt you take him?” “I did—that is——” began Miss Claire, whin the widder grabbed her hand and looked at the ring. “Aha!” ses she “cort you thin, did’nt I? Now” ses she “whare were your sinses under the sarcumstunses whin you let him go away at wanse—and of all things in the warld wid Una Robbins.” “_Wid_ her!” ses Miss Claire. “Yes” “It was an artful move of old S. Judd and her father. My dear, Una is the most rickluss flurt this side of heven. Why its only 3 yeers ago she was ingaged to Harry. They luvved for a moonth and broak the ingagemint a day later. Don’t look so hurt. They werent achully in love—jest playing. Now Una has had her own way with men ivver sinse she wore long drisses. Thin the Wolley family moved out to the Poynt. There was a sartin rood and surly mimber of this crazy family wid a constitooshinul dislike for magnuts and there dorters. Miss Una chose to be intrusted in him, of all men. To her surprise her advanses were rebuffed. She achully disinded to pursooing him, as you no, and finully in despurashun—as I larned from her own lips—she sank so low as to insinnyvate to the loonytick that she _luved_ him!” “O” ses Miss Claire, “You meen our Jimmy.” “The terrible Jimmy!” ses the widder, nodding. “She _told_ him——” “As good as told him.” “And he——?” “He! Ye gods in hiven” ses the widdy throwing up her hands, “he cuvvered up his eers wid his fingys, guv a look of commingled horrow and dispare, and _ran away from her_. The follering nite” wint on the widder, “Mr. S. Judd Dudley called to see her papa, and the marning after that Miss Una was packed bag and baggage off to Yurope. Now lissen to me words of wisdom and expeerinse. If those 2 sore yung indivijools don’t cum to sum sintimintul oonderstanding on this voyage out to Yurope thin my name is not Jane Bangs and will niver be Jane Wolley.” Miss Claire sed never a word, but she looked at the widder beseechingly. “To begin wid” ses the widder, “Its all your brother John’s folt. If he’d proposed to me a month ago I cud have ingineered the hole affare happily for this family. As it is now” ses she, “ye’ve acted like a little fool, and Harry like a big wan. Sakes alive!” ses she, “why didnt you _make_ him stay at home? You had him at the sycological moment” ses she. “Do you suppose I’d have let John Wolley sale away at sooch a time? Not by a long chot. Una is sore—broosed—hartsick—hurt clane throo and throo. She’s desprut. A girl in that condishun has but one resoarce—matrimunney—wid anuther fellow. Now Harry.” “Oh” ses Miss Claire, “please Mrs. Bangs don’t say annything to me about him. I _know_ he loves me oanly.”