r many years and evidently
she put no more confidence in the statement than he did himself. "Of
course, you are aware," he continued to bolster his assertion, "that the
road has been bought by an immensely rich lot of Pittsburg duffers----"

The stenographer half rose in her chair. "Will it not be possible for me
to pay for my message at once?" she asked somewhat peremptorily.

"I have already franked it."

"But I did not----"

"Don't mention it. All I will ask in return is that you will help me get
some letters out of the way to-day," returned Glover, laying a pencil and
note-book on the desk before her. "The other work may go till to-morrow.
By the way, have you found a boarding-place?"

"A boarding-place?"

"I understand you were looking for one."

"I have one."

"The first letter is to Mr. Bucks--I fancy you know _his_ address--" She
did not begin with alacrity. Their eyes met, and in hers there was a
queerish expression.

"I'm not at all sure I ought to undertake this," she said rapidly and
with a touch of disdainful mischief.

"Give yourself no uneasiness--" he began.

"It is you I fear who are giving yourself uneasiness," she interrupted.

"No, I dictate very slowly. Let's make a trial anyway." To avoid
embarrassment he looked the other way when he saw she had taken up the
pencil.

"My Dear Bucks," he began. "Your letter with programme for the Pittsburg
party is received. Why am I to be nailed to the cross with part of the
entertaining? There's no hunting now. The hair is falling off grizzlies
and Goff wouldn't take his dogs out at this season for the President of
the United States. What would you think of detailing Paddy McGraw to
give the young men a fast ride--they have heard of him. I talked
yesterday with one of them. He wanted to see a train robber and I
introduced him to Conductor O'Brien, but he never saw the joke, and you
know how depressing explanations are. Don't, my dear Bucks, put me on a
private car with these people for four weeks--my brother died of
paresis----"

"Oh!" He turned. The stenographer's cheeks were burning; she was
astonishingly pretty. "I'm going too fast, I'm afraid," said Glover.

"I do not think I had better attempt to continue," she answered, rising.
Her eyes fairly burned the brown mountain engineer.

"As you like," he replied, rising too, "It was hardly fair to ask you to
work to-day. By the way, Mr. Bucks forgot to give me your name."