“Yes, dear.” She began pouring the coffee, her mind miles away from what she was doing. “You’re spilling it, mother.” He stopped her, impatiently. “I—I’m sorry, dear,” she murmured as she handed a cup to Katie. “I don’t know what made me so careless.” She never remembered how she finished the meal. With a sort of fascinated horror she kept her eyes upon the girl whom her son had chosen. It was really pitiful to watch the child struggling to handle her knife and fork correctly. Once or twice Marjorie tried to draw her into a conversation, but when she realized how uncomfortable she was making her, she gave it up. So it was Howard who kept up a meaningless chatter until the supper was over. “I—I think I’ll be goin’ now, if you don’t mind, Mrs. Benton,” Kate Walsh announced as soon as they rose. “Ma will wonder what’s keepin’ me. Thank you for my elegant supper. I enjoyed it very much.” She lost no time getting her hat and bag. Marjorie held out her hand. “I—I suppose you’ll come soon again?” she asked, politely. “Oh, yes!” The girl placed her hand in Marjorie’s rather timidly. “I will. Now that you and me’ve met, I won’t be no stranger.” Howard’s nerves were fairly on edge as he helped his fiancée into her jacket. Everything she said seemed to magnify ten-fold in front of his mother. He hadn’t noticed it nearly as much when they were alone. “Good-by,” Marjorie said. “Come in—whenever you wish.” “All right—I’ll run in from work to-morrow. Oughten’ I to kiss you, Mrs. Benton—now that I’ll be callin’ you—Ma?” Marjorie hesitated an instant, but one look at Howard’s flushed cheeks and pleading eyes, made her answer: “Why, certainly—Katie.” She kissed her, then turned to Howard. “Shall you remain out late, dear?” “No, mother, I’ll be home early. Will you wait for me?” “Yes—I’ll wait.” As soon as the door closed after them, she sank to her knees and buried her head in her hands. “Oh, God,” she prayed fervently, “don’t let me live to see this! He can’t marry a girl like that—it will ruin his life! He has suffered so much, and so have I. We have gone through a great deal and borne up, but in mercy, spare us this awful thing. Please, God—Oh, please,” she moaned, as she rocked to and fro. On the way to Katie’s house, Howard made a last effort. “Do you think you’re going to love my mother, Katie?” he asked her. “You just bet I am, Howard—she’s so sweet and kind.” “Well, then—won’t you reconsider about living with her, dear?” he asked anxiously. “No—I—I just can’t! I don’t know nothin’.” She blushed furiously as she made the admission. “I seen it to-night plainer than ever. I just got to learn a lot, before I could be around a woman like your mother!” “But she’ll help you, dear—she’ll help you all the time,” he pleaded. “No—I couldn’t stand that, Howard. I—I want to learn, and I will learn, but I just couldn’t have no woman tellin’ me what to do every minute. I wish I could make you understand—what I mean,” she said wistfully.