"Yes, I see. But what do you propose to do about it?"
"Well, I think—I ought to do or try to do what I can now, to help her not to hurt herself any more by these pranks."
"How are you going to work to make her over like this?"
"I—I don't expect to make her over, Kate, but I think she may get a different idea of having a good time if we are very friendly to her, and bring her into our good times, and she sees that the girls, and the boys too, that she really wants to associate with, really and truly look down on these pranks that she has thought were only 'good fun,'—look down upon them and think them vulgar."
"And you want me to help in this missionary work?" asked Kate, half laughing.
"Yes, I—I want you to be nice to her, Kate. When you meet her to-morrow morning, now, I want you to give her something more than a stiff nod; I want you to smile a little,—not too much, or she'll think I've been talking to you about her."
"A little, but not too much," laughed Kate, "Oh, Hope, Hope, you dear delightful darling you, this is too funny, too funny!"
"But won't you try—won't you try, Kate, to—"
"To smile upon her a little but not too much? Yes, yes, I'll try, I'll try," still laughing.
"And, Kate dear," suddenly enfolding the laughing girl in a close embrace, "will you try to do something else for me,—will you try to forgive me for—for being so stupid as not to trust you to—to understand? Will you try to forgive me, and to—to love me as well—as you did before?"