“No, indeed; I know you are in excellent hands,” smiled Miss Williams, and the two girls went on their way.

The walk “downtown” was delightful, for the evening was balmy and fragrant with unfolding flowers and foliage.  Arriving at Madam Alberti’s, they found her fashionable rooms filled with customers, and were obliged to wait sometime before Miss Minot could be served.

Then, when the hat was finally brought, there was something that did not quite suit her fastidious taste and had to be changed.  By the time this was effected it had grown quite dark outside; but as they started out Sadie lingered by the door and looked up and down the street with an air of expectation, mingled with some anxiety, Katherine thought.

“Let us go into Neal’s for a soda and some candy,” Sadie at length proposed, and, as candy was also one of Katherine’s weaknesses, they stepped into a confectioner’s, next door, and made their purchases.  While waiting for their change a young man, stylishly attired, approached Sadie and, lifting his hat, saluted her with much empressement.

Sadie smiled, blushed, and addressed him as “Mr. Willard,” then introduced Katherine, who was beginning to understand some things that had puzzled her, and to feel quite uncomfortable.

They stood chatting together until their change was handed them, when they passed out of the store, Mr. Willard taking possession of Miss Minot’s bandbox with an air of proprietorship which, to say the least, was suggestive.

When they reached the first corner Katherine halted.

“I suppose we will take a car, Sadie, it is getting so late,” she quietly remarked.

“Oh, it is so fine, let us walk back,” said the girl, appealingly.

Katherine was dismayed, particularly as Mr. Willard supplemented, affably: 

“I hope you can be persuaded, Miss Minturn.  It will give me great pleasure to see you safely home.”

Katherine knew it would never do.  It would be a rank violation of the rules, which explicitly stated that no young lady could receive attention from young men without permission direct from the principal, on penalty of expulsion.

“Thank you, Mr. Willard; but I think we will take a car,” she courteously but decidedly replied.

“Oh, come now, Katharine, don’t be disobliging,” Sadie here interposed; “there can be no harm in our walking quietly back to the seminary together.  Ned—­er—­Mr. Willard has met Prof.  Seabrook, and it will be all right.”

The slip which revealed Mr. Willard’s first name, and also betrayed something of the intimacy which existed between the young couple, appalled Katherine, and confirmed her suspicions that the meeting had been previously planned, and drove her to radical measures.

She turned politely to the young man and observed: 

“Mr. Willard, if we had Prof.  Seabrook’s permission, no doubt the walk would be very enjoyable; but since we have not, and the rules are explicit, I am sure you will appreciate our position and excuse us.  There is our car.  Will you kindly signal for us?”