outings.... The girl was cordially invited and arrived a week later.
She was surprised and touched to find so faithful a friend in Toni
who, when they were both boarding with Pastor Rhode, had played her
many a sly trick.

Two months later the girl, in her turn, invited Toni to the city
whither she had never before been permitted to go alone and so the
latter managed to receive her lover's first letter.

What he wrote was discouraging enough. His father was ill, hence the
excellent practice was gliding into other hands and the means for his
own studies were growing narrow. If things went on so he might have to
give up his university course and take to anything to keep his mother
and sister from want.

This prospect did not please Toni. She was so proud of him. She could
not bear to have him descend in the social scale for the sake of bread
and butter. She thought and thought how she could help him with money,
but nothing occurred to her. She had to be content with encouraging
him and assuring him that her love would find ways and means for
helping him out of his difficulties.

She wrote her letters at night and jumped out of the window in order
to drop them secretly into the pillar box. It was months before she
could secure an answer. His father was better, but life in the
fraternity was very expensive, and it was a very grave question
whether he had not better resign the scarf which he had just gained
and study on as a mere "barb."

In Toni's imagination the picture of her beloved was brilliantly