ld be my affair. But really I
want to know. Will you, if I get my father's business back?"

"I'll not promise," she said. "Why, Bobby, the way you put it, you
would be binding me _not_ to marry you in case you _didn't_ get it
back!" and she laughed at him. "But let's talk business now. I was
just starting out upon your affairs, the securing of some bonds for
which the lawyer I have employed has been negotiating, so you may take
me up there and he will arrange to get you the two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars you are to have. It's for a new start, without
restrictions except that you are to engage in business with it. That's
all the instructions I have."

[Illustration: Will you if I get my father's business back?]

"Thanks," said Bobby, with a gulp. "Honestly, Agnes, it's a shame.
It's a low-down trick the governor played to put me in this helplessly
belittled position with you."

"Why, how strange," she replied quietly. "I look upon it as a most
graceful and agreeable position for myself."

"Oh!" he exclaimed blankly, as it occurred to him just how
uncomfortable the situation must be to her, and he reproached himself
with selfishness in not having thought of this phase of the matter
before. "That's a fact," he admitted. "I say, Agnes, I'll say no more
about that end of it if you don't; and, after all, I'm glad, too. It
gives me a legitimate excuse to see you much oftener."

"Gracious, no!" she protested. "You fill up every spare moment that I
have now; but so long as you are here on business this time, let's
attend to business. You may take me up to see Mr. Chalmers. By the
way, I want you to meet him, anyhow. You have seen him, I believe,
once or twice. He was here one day when you called, and he was walking
with me in the lobby of the theater when you came in to join us one
evening."

"Y-e-s," drawled Bobby, as if he were placing the man with difficulty.

"The Chalmers' are charming people," she went on. "His wife is
perfectly fascinating. We used to go to school together. They have
only been married three months, and when they came here to go into
business I was very glad to throw such of your father's estate as I am
to handle into his hands. Whenever they are ready I want to engineer
them into our set, but they live very quietly now. I know you'll like
them."

"Oh, I'm sure I will," agreed Bobby heartily, and his face was
positively radiant, as, for some unaccountable reason, he clutched her
hand. S