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282 282 CHEATING THE GALLOWS.

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There is nothing Tom would not do for me, or I for Tom. You must like him, Clara ; you must, if only for my sake."

" I'll try," Clara promised, and then he kissed her in gratitude and broad daylight.

"You'll be very nice to him at tea, won't you?" he said anxiously. " I shouldn't like you two to be bad friends."

" I don't want to be bad friends," Clara protested ; " only the moment I saw him a strange repulsion and mistrust

came over me."

"You are quite wrong about him — quite wrong," he assured her earnestly. " When you know him better, you'll find him the best of fellows. Oh, I know," he said sud- denly, " I suppose he was very untidy, and you women go so much by appearances ! "

" Not at all," Clara retorted. " 'Tis you men who go by appearances."

"Yes, you do. That's why you care for me," he said, smiling.

She assured him it wasn't, and she didn't care for him so much as he plumed himself, but he smiled on. His smile died away, however, when he entered his rooms and found Tom nowhere.

" I daresay you've made him run about hunting for me," he grumbled.

" Perhaps he knew I'd come back, and went away to leave us together," she answered. " He said he would when you came."

" And yet you say you don't like him ! "

She smiled reassuringly. Inwardly, however, she felt pleased at the man's absence.