e intruding if I occupied any more of your time."

"Intruding?" she repeated, with a rising inflection of her voice. "Why,
it was kind of you to be with me."

"But you must remember--" he began.

"Remember?"

"Yes, remember there is someone else who should be considered."

"Oh, Reggie's glad that he has a substitute for trips like this and I've
told you that he respects your judgment," she said.

Gibson was in his two-seated car at the entrance to the studio when they
arrived. They left their machines at the gateway to meet him.

"Again?" he asked as they met. "You two certainly find each other
interesting."

He smiled as he spoke, but a queer feeling went through John as he
realized that Consuello had failed to tell Gibson that she had invited
him to be with her.

"I'm acquainting Mr. Gallant with the process of picture making,"
Consuello said. However she received Gibson's salutatory remark she gave
no hint of her feeling in the tone of her voice.

"When are you going to show her through a newspaper office, Gallant?"
Gibson was still smiling. Consuello replied before John could speak.

"Whenever you and I can find time, I'm sure," she said. "You'll excuse
me for a moment; I must hurry along so I won't keep you waiting long,
Reggie. And Mr. Gallant, I'll arrange for a car to take you home."

She hurried away, skipping toward the dressing room building.
Unconscious of each other, Gibson and Gallant watched her until she
disappeared from their sight. When they turned toward each other
simultaneously, John had a peculiarly embarrassed feeling, as if he had
been caught doing something which he had no right to do.

Gibson's smile was confusing.

"A wonderful, wonderful girl," he said, drawing a finely embossed
cigarette case.

"Yes," said John, instinctively apprehensive of making a more
enthusiastic concurrence.

"A whole-hearted, dear, unsuspecting girl," said Gibson, without
offering the cigarette case to John.

"Yes."

"A girl who makes a friend of everyone she meets."

Wasn't that "everyone" emphasized a trifle?

"A girl a man would do almost anything for." He was still smiling.

"Yes."

"By the way, Gallant, has she told you we are engaged to be married?"

John hesitated and chose to keep the confidence she had placed in him.

"No," he said. "You ARE to be congratulated." He had a secret
satisfaction in stressing the "are."

Gibson lighted his cigarette.

"I just thought I'd tell you,