"I am sorry for Ray," she said, presently.

Frank Sunderline, with a grave look, nodded his head thoughtfully,
twice.

"If anything happens to Mr. Ingraham, won't it be strange that I
should have asked her what I did, just that minute?"

"What? O, yes!"

It had fairly been jostled out of the young man's mind. They walked
on silently again. But Marion could not give it up.

"I don't doubt she _would_ be a baker; carry on the whole
concern,--if there was money. She keeps all her father's accounts,
now."

"Does she?"

"She wouldn't have had the chance if there had been a boy. That's
what I say isn't fair."

"I think you are mistaken. You can't change the way of the world.
There isn't anything to hinder a woman's doing work like that,--even
going on with it, as you say,--when it is set for her by special
circumstances. It's natural, and a duty; and the world will treat
her well and think the more of her. Things are so that it is
getting easier every day for it to be done. The facilities of the
times can't help serving women as much as men. But people won't