“The curse of true love” ses Miss Claire mornfully “never did run smoothly. O Delia” ses she “I wish I were ded!”

“Whats the thrubble, darlint?” ses I stopping me wark for a moment.

“Don’t you know?” she arsks.

“Why no darling. Do you think I’m at the kayhole all the time?”

She larfed a bit throo her teers. Then she set down, and put her chin on her little hand.

“Delia” ses she “do you know I havent spoken to Mr. Dudley for a week.”

“My God miss” ses I, “are you cutting the lad?”

She nods her hed sadly.

“The poor lad!” ses I “and he do be wayting for you ivery day at the floury hidge.”

“Papa wont let me go neer it” ses she wid a sob.

“Then why dussent the yung spalpeen cum to the house thin?” ses I indigantly.

“He did” ses she “twice—and—and James insoolted him. O Delia” ses she, and hides her face in her hands.

I drors her into me arms and pets her like a babby, while she poars out into me sympatetic eers her thrubbles.

“You know Delia” ses she “papa yused to be professer of mathymatucks at Logun Yunyversity. Well last winter James began that orful muck rake riting. It seems Mr. Dudley had given a grate many chares to Logun Yunyversity.”

“Chares darlint? For the lads to set upon?”

“No Delia—but it dussent matter. Anyhow he was a grate power in papa’s colluge. Well James began exposing millynairs in the magazines and papers and by and by rote a powerful artuckle on tinted munney. He sed orful things of Mr. Dudley who wint clane crazy about it. You see he loved to pose as a bennyfactory to his cuntry and James had shown him as he was. It wassent papa’s folt but Mr. Dudley revinged himself on papa. He got the thrustees to ask for papa’s assignashun and now papa joins with James in thinking him the gratest rarscal of the time. So you can see Delia” ses she, her lips trimbling “that nachully they hafnt much yuse for Harry, and—and they’ve forbidden me to speak to him again.”

“You poor lamb” ses I “but shure if I was Mr. Harry I’d find a way to see you if I had to sneek into the kitchen itself to do it.”

“Delia!” ses she, clutching me arm excitedly, “What an idear! Oh Delia” ses she “Why not?”