t arrange to put the old
house in order at once."

"We'll arrange nothing of the sort," he responded, after a moment of
angry silence. "You're going to stay right here."

"Ah, I know your hospitality," she bowed, graciously. "But of course I
must not tax it too far. And about Mr. Louden? As I said, I want to
speak to you about him."

"Yes," he intervened, harshly. "So do I, and I'm going to do it quick!
You'll find--"

Again she mysteriously baffled him. "He's a dear old friend of mine,
you know, and I have made up my mind that we both need his help, you
and I."

"What!"

"Yes," she continued, calmly, "in a business way I mean. I know you
have great interests in a hundred directions, all more important than
mine; it isn't fair that you should bear the whole burden of my
affairs, and I think it will be best to retain Mr. Louden as my man of
business. He could take all the cares of the estate off your
shoulders."

Martin Pike spoke no word, but he looked at her strangely; and she
watched him with sudden keenness, leaning forward in her chair, her
gaze alert but quiet, fixed on the dilating pupils of his eyes. He
seemed to become dizzy, and the choleric scarlet which had overspread
his broad face and big neck faded splotchily.

Still keeping her eyes upon him, she went on: "I haven't asked him yet,
and so I don't know whether or not he'll consent, but I think it
possible that he may come to see me this afternoon, and if he does we
can propose it to him together and go over things a little."

Judge Pike recovered his voice. "He'll get a warm welcome," he
promised, huskily, "if he sets foot on my premises!"

"You mean you prefer I shouldn't receive him here?" She nodded
pleasantly. "Then certainly I shall not. Such things are much better
for offices; you are quite right."

"You'll not see him at all!"

"Ah, Judge Pike," she lifted her hand with gentle deprecation, "don't
you understand that we can't quite arrange that? You see, Mr. Louden
is even an older friend of mine than you are, and so I must trust his
advice about such things more than yours. Of course, if he too should
think it better for me not to see him--"

The Judge advanced toward her. "I'm tired of this," he began, in a
loud voice. "I'm--"

She moved as if to rise, but he had come very close, leaning above her,
one arm out-stretched and at the end of it a heavy forefinger which he
was shaking at her, so that it was difficult t