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fore there are monuments to Marx in clean and beautiful and free cities all over the earth。''
Jane listened intensely。 There was admiring envy in her eyes as she cried： ‘‘How splendid！to believe in somethingand work for it and live for itas you do！''
Selma laughed； with a charming little gesture of the shoulders and the hands that reminded Jane of her foreign parentage。 ‘‘Nothing else seems worth while；'' said she。 ‘‘Nothing else is worth while。 There are only two entirely great careersto be a teacher of the right kind and work to ease men's mindsas those four didor to be a doctor of the right kind and work to make mankind healthy。 All the suffering； all the crime； all the wickedness； comes from ignorance or bad healthor both。 Usually it's simply bad health。''
Jane felt as if she were devoured of thirst and drinking at a fresh； sparkling spring。 ‘‘I never thought of that before；'' said she。
‘‘If you find out all about any criminal； big or little； you'll discover that he had bad healthpoisons in his blood that goaded him on。''
Jane nodded。 ‘‘Whenever I'm difficult to get on with； I'm always not quite well。''
‘‘I can see that your disposition is perfect； when you are well；'' said Selma。
‘‘And yours；'' said Jane。
‘‘Oh； I'm never out of humor；'' said Selma。 ‘‘You see； I'm never sicknot the least bit。''
‘‘You are Miss Gordon； aren't you？''
‘‘YesI'm Selma Gordon。''
‘‘My name is Jane Hastings。'' Then as this seemed to convey nothing to Selma； Jane added： ‘‘I'm not like you。 I haven't an individuality of my ownthat anybody knows about。 So； I'll have to identify myself by saying that I'm Martin Hastings' daughter。''
Jane confidently expected that this announcement would cause some sort of emotionperhaps of awe； perhaps of horror； certainly of interest。 She was disappointed。 If Selma felt anything she did not show itand Jane was of the opinion that it would be well nigh impossible for so direct and natural a person to conceal。 Jane went on：
‘‘I read in your paper about your fund for sick children。 I was riding past your officesaw the sign and I've come in to give what I happen to have about me。'' She drew out the small roll of bills and handed it to Selma。
The Russian girlif it is fair thus to characterize one so intensely American in manner； in accent and in speechtook the money and said：
‘‘We'll acknowledge it in the paper next week。''
Jane flushed and a thrill of alarm ran through her。 ‘‘Ohpleaseno；'' she urged。 ‘‘I'd not like to have my name mentioned。 That would look as if I had done it to seem charitable。 Besides； it's such a trifle。''
Selma was calm and apparently unsuspicious。 ‘‘Very well；'' said she。 ‘‘We'll write； telling what we did with the money； so that you can investigate。''
‘‘But I trust you entirely；'' cried Jane。
Selma shook her head。 ‘‘But we don't wish to be trusted；'' said she。 ‘‘Only dishonest people wish to be trusted when it's possible to avoid trusting。 And we all need watching。 It helps us to keep straight。''
‘‘Oh； I don't agree with you；'' protested Miss Hastings。 ‘‘Lots of the time I'd hate to be watched。 I don't want everybody to know all I do。''
Selma's eyes opened。 ‘‘Why not？'' she said。
Jane cast about for a way to explain what seemed to her a self…evident truth。 ‘‘I meanprivacy；'' she said。 ‘‘For instance； if you were in love； you'd not want everybody to know about it？''
‘‘Yes； indeed；'' declared Selma。 ‘‘I'd be tremendously proud of it。 It must be wonderful to be in love。''
In one of those curious twists of feminine nature； Miss Hastings suddenly felt the glow of a strong； unreserved liking for this strange； candid girl。
Selma went on： ‘‘But I'm afraid I never shall be。 I get no time to think about myself。 From rising till bed time my work pushes at me。'' She glanced uneasily at her desk； apologetically at Miss Hastings。 ‘‘I ought to be writing this minute。 The strike is occupying Victor； and I'm helping out with his work。''
‘‘I'm interrupting；'' said Jane。 ‘‘I'll go。'' She put out her hand with her best； her sweetest smile。 ‘‘We're going to be friendsaren't we？''
Selma clasped her hand heartily and said： ‘‘We ARE friends。 I like everybody。 There's always something to like in everyoneand the bad part isn't their fault。 But it isn't often that I like anyone so much as I do you。 You are so direct and honestquite different from the other women of your class that I've met。''
Jane felt unaccountably grateful and humble。 ‘‘I'm afraid you're too generous。 I guess you're not a very good judge of people；'' she said。
‘‘So VictorVictor Dornsays；'' laughed Selma。 ‘‘He says I'm too confiding。 Wellwhy not？ And really； he trusts everybody； tooexcept with the cause。 Then he'she's''she glanced from face to face of the four pictures‘‘he's like those men。''
Jane's glance followed Selma's。 She said： ‘‘YesI should imagine sofrom what I've heard。'' She startled； flushed； hid behind a somewhat constrained manner。 ‘‘Will you come up to my house to lunch？''
‘‘If I can find time；'' said Selma。 ‘‘But I'd rather come and take you for a walk。 I have to walk two hours every day。 It's the only thing that'll keep my head clear。''
‘‘When will you come？to…morrow？''
‘‘Is nine o'clock too early？''
Jane reflected that her father left for business at half…past eight。 ‘‘Nine to…morrow；'' she said。 ‘‘Good… by again。''
As she was mounting her horse； she saw ‘‘the Cossack girl；'' as she was calling her； writing away at the window hardly three feet above the level of Jane's head when she was mounted； so low was the first story of the battered old frame house。 But Selma did not see her； she was all intent upon the writing。 ‘‘She's forgotten me already；'' thought Jane with a pang of jealous vanity。 She added： ‘‘But SHE has SOMETHING to think about she and Victor Dorn。''
She was so preoccupied that she rode away with only an absent thank you for the small boy； in an older and much larger and wider brother's cast…off shirt； suspenders and trousers。 At the corner of the avenue she remembered and turned her horse。 There stood the boy gazing after her with a hypnotic intensity that made her smile。 She rode back fumbling in her pockets。 ‘‘I beg your pardon；'' said she to the boy。 Then she called up to Selma Gordon：
‘‘Miss Gordonpleasewill you lend me a quarter until to…morrow？''
Selma looked up； stared dazedly at her； smiled absently at Miss Hastingsand Miss Hastings had the strongest confirmation of her suspicion that Selma had forgotten her and her visit the instant she vanished from the threshold of the office。 Said Selma： ‘‘A quarter？oh； yescertainly。'' She seemed to be searching a drawer or a purse out of sight。 ‘‘I haven't anything but a five dollar bill。 I'm so sorry'' this in an absent manner； with most of her thoughts evidently still upon her work。 She rose； leaned from the window； glanced up the street； then down。 She went on：
‘‘There comes Victor Dorn。 He'll lend it to you。''
Along the ragged brick walk at a quick pace the man who had in such abrupt fashion stormed Jane Hasting's fancy and taken possession of her curiosity was advancing with a bask