as working at some piece of embroidery, which is an advantage in
helping one in situations of possible embarrassment to keep up an
appearance, at least, of self-possession. And the pattern being a
difficult one gave her the excuse of keeping her eyes fixed on her work
most of the time. She sat there in the corner absolutely dumb, waiting
for Bauer to speak. A noisy little clock on the shelf over the grate
ticked away at least three minutes. Bauer opened his lips once or twice
as if to say a word, but nothing came of it. He looked at Helen almost
appealingly and once he seemed on the point of leaving the room. But
Helen's eyes were fixed on her work and the silence was unbroken by any
movement.

At last Helen looked up after a longer period than any other, and to her
disgust saw that Bauer had picked up the magazine he had dropped when
she came in, and had resumed his reading, or at least seemed to have
done so.

For a minute she looked and felt vexed. "The horrid creature!" she
exclaimed to herself, and then out loud she said in a sweet voice:

"Is that an interesting story you are reading?"

Bauer instantly closed the magazine and put it on the table.

"I don't know yet. I haven't finished it."

"Were you going to?"

"Yes, some time."

"Can't you tell me what the story is about?"

"It's about two people," said Bauer tamely.

"Is that all?" asked Helen after a pause on Bauer's part of several
seconds.

"They start out with a ridiculous misunderstanding and it seems to be
getting worse."

Helen looked amused and said, "Won't you go on?"

"The young woman thinks the young man is in love with her. He isn't at
all--that is--not yet, but he is afraid he will be."

"Afraid? Is the girl so bad looking as that?"

"No, she is enough good looking to make up for both of them. And he is
in some need of it."

Helen laughed. "These magazine stories are the most absurd things that
ever were printed."

"I think so myself."

"What makes you read them then?"

"I was just doing it to pass the time."

"That's flattering."

"Flattering?"

"Yes."

Bauer was silent thirty seconds. Then he said, "Flattering to whom?"

"To me, isn't it?"

Bauer's face was a study. Helen laughed again.

"Why didn't you speak to me when I came in?"

"I didn't know you wanted to talk." Bauer looked actually hurt.

"Honest?"

"How could I know you wanted to talk."

"A woman always cares, Mr. Bauer."

"You seemed intent on