y horse I could, no matter how mettlesome it was. Now wouldn't
you?"

"I wouldn't go that far," she said dryly. For an instant the thought
flickered through her mind that she would like to get this
spick-and-span riding-school model on the back of Wild Fire and see how
long he would stick to the saddle.

James Cunningham met Rose with a suave courtesy, but with reserve.
Like his brother he knew of only one subject about which the sister of
Esther McLean could want to talk with him. Did she intend to be
reasonable? Would she accept a monetary settlement and avoid the
publicity that could only hurt her sister as well as the reputation of
the name of Cunningham? Or did she mean to try to impose impossible
conditions? How much did she know and how much guess? Until he
discovered that he meant to play his cards close.

Characteristically, Rose came directly to the point after the first few
words of introduction.

"You know my sister, Esther McLean, a stenographer of your uncle?" she
asked.

The girl was standing. She had declined a chair. She stood
straight-backed as an Indian, carrying her head with fine spirit. Her
eyes attacked the oil broker, would not yield a thousandth part of an
inch to his impassivity.

"I--have met her," he answered.

"You know . . . about her trouble?"

"Yes. My cousin mentioned it. We--my brother and I--greatly regret
it. Anything in reason that we can do we shall, of course, hold
ourselves bound for."

He flashed a glance at Jack who murmured a hurried agreement. The
younger man's eyes were busy examining a calendar on the wall.

"I didn't come to see you about that now," the young woman went on,
cheeks flushed, but chin held high. "Nor would I care to express my
opinion of the . . . the creature who could take advantage of such a
girl's love. I intend to see justice is done my sister, as far as it
can now be done. But not to-day. First, I'm here to ask you if you're
friends of Kirby Lane. Do you believe he killed his uncle?"

"No," replied James promptly. "I am quite sure he didn't kill him. I
am trying to get him out on bond. Any sum that is asked I'll sign for."

"Then I want to tell you something you don't know. The testimony
showed that Kirby went to his uncle's apartment about 9.20 and left
nearly an hour later. That isn't true."

"How do you know it isn't?"

"Because I was there myself part of the time."

Jack stared at her in blank dismay. Asto