sistant, with whom Maud was at the moment occupied--a
girl whom she had known at school, and with whom she had renewed
acquaintance in this way. It was about a matter of the administration
of the library, and only a few words were exchanged. He then bowed to
both the ladies, and went out.

"Who was that?" Maud asked.

"Don't you know?" rejoined the other. "I thought everybody knew the
elegant Captain Farnham. He is president of our board, you know, and he
is just lovely. I always manage to stop him as he leaves a board
meeting and get a word or two out of him. It's worth the trouble if I
only get a bow."

"I should think so," assented Maud. "He is as sweet as a peach. Is
there any chance of getting one of those places? I should like to
divide those bows with you."

"That would be perfectly splendid," said her friend, who was a
good-natured girl. "Come, I will introduce you to the old Doctor
now."

And in a moment Maud was in the presence of the librarian.

She entered at a fortunate moment. Dr. Buchlieber was a near-sighted
old gentleman who read without glasses, but could see nothing six feet
away. He usually received and dismissed his visitors without bothering
himself to discover or imagine what manner of people they were. "I do
not care how they look," he would say. "They probably look as they
talk, without form and void." But at the moment when Maud entered his
little room, he had put on his lenses to look out of the window, and he
turned to see a perfect form in a closely fit ting dress, and a face
pretty enough to look on with a critical pleasure. He received her
kindly, and encouraged her to hope for an appointment, and it was in
accordance with his suggestion that she called upon Farnham, as we have
related.

She did not go immediately. She took several days to prepare what she
called "a harness" of sufficient splendor, and while she was at work
upon it she thought of many things. She was not even yet quite sure
that she wanted a place in the library. The Doctor had been very kind,
but he had given her clearly to understand that the work required of
her would be severe, and the pay very light. She had for a long time
thought of trying to obtain a clerkship at Washington,--perhaps Farnham
would help her to that,--and her mind wandered off among the
possibilities of chance acquaintance with bachelor senators and
diplomats. But the more she thought of the coming interview, the more
her mind dwelt upon th