Also, she had looked pale and worried, and evinced a tendency to irritation that was quite foreign to her natural sweetness of character.

Now, when a person on whom one is accustomed to depend for most of that social intercourse and those pleasant little amenities which members of one sex value from another, suddenly cuts off the supply without any apparent rhyme or reason, it is enough to induce a feeling of wonder, not to say of vexation, in the breast.

It never occurred to John that the reason might be that Bessie was truly fond of him, and perhaps unconsciously disappointed that he did not show a warmer interest in her.

If, however, we were to examine into the facts of the case we should probably discover that here was the real explanation of this change.

Bessie was a straightforward young person, whose mind and purposes were as clear as running water.