style="margin-top: 2em">This new place was one of those many cheap boarding-houses patronized mostly by poor students and clerks, and as it was in a back street, it was comparatively quiet, a fact that Edward noticed with satisfaction. It was kept by an old, motherly Irishwoman, who seemed to take a special liking to Edward from the first, which was greatly increased when she learned that he was a Catholic. She asked him many questions, and finally wanted to know what was the nationality of his roommate.

"Russian," said Edward.

"Roosian? Faith, that's a Jew!"

"No, just a Russian," said Edward again, laughing.

"What's his name?" she asked.

"Benjamin Oresky."

"What's that?—say it again."

Edward repeated his friend's name, but the good Irish lady could not grasp it, and she said: "Sure, that's a Jew, your friend is, and look out for him; he may be an exception, but people that killed Christ are not good people. It's me that do tell you this, and kape it to yourself."

At noon when Ben came, Edward told him of his conversation with their landlady, and they both bad much fun about it; and all during their lunch they could not help but smile at the way she looked at Ben.

After lunch Ben went back to his work, and later Edward was on his way to Nellie's place. This time he was firmly decided to speak business and find out if Nellie could help him get a situation at once. "I can't live on love," he said to himself, as he stood at her door.

When Nellie came in the boudoir where Edward was waiting, she noticed the change in his face. He was pale, and the dark rings around his eyes told of sleepless nights. She greeted him with more cordiality than ever, if possible, and Edward felt her charm creep upon him like the sensation which follows drinking old wine.

"Poor boy," she said, holding his right hand in hers, "I am afraid you don't feel well, or that you have been worrying," and she looked him straight in the eyes.

A smile of beatitude spread over Edward's face under the influence of her gaze, and he answered: "To tell the truth, Nellie, I have been a little anxious about my future, but I guess it will be all right."

"Of course it will be all right," she said, and inviting him to be seated, she asked him if he would not like to become an actor.

"An actor?" he repeated, "I be an actor? I never thought of it, and then, how could I become an actor in the States when I can hardly speak English correctly?"

"That part of it is all right, Ed. I have a friend, who is now writing a new play, and there will be a Frenchman in it, and you would be just the man to take that role."

"Well, but I have never done any acting; in fact, I know absolutely nothing about it," he said.

"There is a beginning to everything. Your voice is good. You are tall and handsome,'' she added smilingly.

"Oh, bosh! Nellie, you are making fun of me. I know I was not born to be an actor, and never will be one."

"Won't you try for my sake?" she asked him pleadingly.

"For your sake, Nellie, I would do anything, but please don't ask me to make a fool of myself."

"No, no, nothing of the kind, Edward. You can take lessons in elocution, and later try the role I spoke about."

"Take lessons in elocution? Dear, it takes money and time to do these things, and while I have the time I lack the other.

"I will loan you the money, Edward, and later, when you make lots of it, you will pay it back to me. Can I tell my friend, the author, that I have his man for the role of the Frenchman?"

"I don't know, Nellie; I must have time to think it over," answered Edward, who was too surprised to grasp the full meaning of this proposition.

"All right, you will let me know to-morrow, won't you, Ed? and please take my advice and accept this chance to become an actor. I feel that you would succeed on the stage—truly, I do, Ed."

After talking over this new scheme, Edward left Nellie, and went to his boardinghouse, where he wanted to consult with his friend Ben.

The Russian saw no reason why Edward should not follow Nellie's advice, and he strongly encouraged him to do so; but to Edward, there were many points to consider. What would his parents say? What would Marie Louise think of him, if she learned that he wanted to become an actor? Had she not in her last letters begged of him to be good and true to his promises? He had not answered that part in which she also complained of the chilliness of his late letters. Another point that he felt keenly, was the eventual necessity to accept pecuniary help from Nellie; of course, he reasoned that it was to be paid back, but his sensitive nature made him realize that even then it would leave him under moral obligations to her, and his spirit of independence revolted strongly. But what was he to do?

"Try it on condition that if you don't like it, you'll go into something else," suggested the Russian, and Edward made up his mind to do so.

The next day, Nellie was delighted to learn from Ed ward that he had decided to follow her advice. She immediately gave him two hundred dollars, which he accepted after much hesitation. He wanted to give her his note, but she would not have it. They went to the writer of the new play, and Edward was introduced to him as the gentleman who was to fill the role of the Frenchman. The author seemed pleased with Edward's appearance, and predicted success for him.

The next thing was to find a professor of elocution. Nellie knew where to find one, so they went to him, and it was agreed that Edward was to take three lessons a week; and he felt much encouraged himself.

That night Edward wrote home that he had found employment, but failed to give any details, and it was with much difficulty that he succeeded in writing a few pages to Marie Louise and these were certainly disconnected, and lacked considerable of the old lover's style which he used in other days. In a postscript he pleaded nervousness as an excuse for the nature of the letter, and hoped that she would not mistrust him.

During the following day, he settled down to work with all his energy, with the result that he had very little time to worry. The more he studied the play in which he was to take part, and of which he had been given a copy, the more he liked it.

He called upon the author, with whom he at once became on friendly terms, and met many actors there, who seemed to be very nice people; gradually Edward became more and more one of them. Every day he spent some time with Nellie, who was most pleased with his success, and once more the world seemed to be right.

The company of which Nellie was the star was billed to in New York City about a week later, and when Nellie told him that she would be absent for four weeks, they felt that they would much miss each other, but agreed to write every day, and then four weeks would soon pass.

While Nellie was gone, Edward was induced to join an actor's club, and was given an opportunity to study the life of that class of society.

Edward spent much of his leisure time in the club rooms, where he could read many journals published in the interest of stage people. The membership of this club was composed of actors out of employment or playing in the city. Edward became acquainted with a great many of them and was surprised at the number of bright young men who were wasting their time, apparently waiting for a mere chances of some engagement.

Some of them were young in years,