u. You know the world. You are Mr. Harnish, the
millionaire--"

"Gambler," he broke in harshly

She nodded acceptance of his term and went on.

"And I'm a stenographer in your office--"

"You're a thousand times better than me--" he attempted to interpolate,
but was in turn interrupted.

"It isn't a question of such things. It's a simple and fairly common
situation that must be considered. I work for you. And it isn't what
you or I might think, but what other persons will think. And you don't
need to be told any more about that. You know yourself."

Her cool, matter-of-fact speech belied her--or so Daylight thought,
looking at her perturbed feminineness, at the rounded lines of her
figure, the breast that deeply rose and fell, and at the color that was
now excited in her cheeks.

"I'm sorry I frightened you out of your favorite stamping ground," he
said rather aimlessly.

"You didn't frighten me," she retorted, with a touch of fire. "I'm not
a silly seminary girl. I've taken care of myself for a long time now,
and I've done it without being frightened. We were together two
Sundays, and I'm sure I wasn't frightened of Bob, or you. It isn't
that. I have no fears of taking care of myself, but the world insists
on taking care of one as well. That's the trouble. It's what the world
would have to say about me and my employer meeting regularly and riding
in the hills on Sundays. It's funny, but it's so. I could ride with
one of the clerks without remark, but with you--no."

"But the world don't know and don't need to know," he cried.

"Which makes it worse, in a way, feeling guilty of nothing and yet
sneaking around back-roads with all the feeling of doing something
wrong. It would be finer and braver for me publicly..."

"To go to lunch with me on a week-day," Daylight said, divining the
drift of her uncompleted argument.

She nodded.

"I didn't have that quite in mind, but it will do. I'd prefer doing
the brazen thing and having everybody know it, to doing the furtive
thing and being found out. Not that I'm asking to be invited to
lunch," she added, with a smile; "but I'm sure you understand my
position."

"Then why not ride open and aboveboard with me in the hills?" he urged.

She shook her head with what he imagined was just the faintest hint of
regret, and he went suddenly and almost maddeningly hungry for her.

"Look here, Miss Mason, I know you don't like this talking over of
things