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could see a little, for there was a light in the
hall. She saw I was awake and I sat up, too."  "

"Then she said, 'Oh, that's just Jim, coming
home drunk as usual.' And she lay down again
and went right to sleep! My -- I'd never go
right to sleep if it were Dick! And I've al-
ready asked Stacia to come here some time for
a week-end! What shall I do about it?"

"Have her. Mother will like to do it for you.
You needn't tell her a thing, but Mother will
see some things for herself, you know. We'll
give Stacia our kind of a good time and your
debt will be paid. And you can keep on being
nice to her at school, I should think, Doris. It's
easy enough to have other friends and stop be-
ing intimate without dropping anybody with a
jolt. That wouldn't be kind."

"My, Betty, I'm glad you are my sister! I
was afraid you'd want me not to have anything
more to do with Stacia, and Stacia likes me."

"Perhaps you can be a good influence, Doris;
but it isn't very good for you to make such a
close friend of Stacia. I'm sure you will 'use
good judgment about it,' as Mother always
says."

"My, I'm glad I belong to this family. But
Stacia will think us 'slow.' That's her word."


 [[127]]