ut your folks! They tell me your father is at home."

"I have said nothing to father and mother--naturally." She smiled up
at him. "I have never had any occasion to say anything to them about my
loving anybody, because that matter has never come up till now."

"I am going home with you," he said, grimly, and drew her along, his arm
linked in hers.

"If you think it is advisable for me to talk with father and mother,
I'll do it--I'll do it to-night," she volunteered, courageously.

"Vona, I never want to feel again as I did this afternoon when I allowed
you to go alone on an errand that concerned us both. After this, I'm
going to stand up, man fashion, and do the talking for the two of us."

CHAPTER VIII

TWO AGAINST THE FIELD

Mr. Harnden had not had a bit of trouble late that afternoon in securing
a promise from Tasper Britt to give him audience and view the plans and
specifications of Mr. Harnden's latest invention. In fact, the consent
had been secured so easily that Mr. Harnden, freshly arrived in town on
Ike Jones's stage, and having heard no Egypt gossip during a prolonged
absence from home, had blinked at Britt with the air of a man who had
expected to find a door held against him, had pushed hard, and had
tumbled head over heels when nothing opposed him.

Mr. Harnden went out on the street and put himself in the way of hearing
some gossip. Then he went directly back into Britt's office and shook
hands with the money king, giving Mr. Britt an arch look which suggested
that Mr. Harnden knew a whole lot that he was not going to talk about
right then. He said, ascribing the idea to second thought, that it might
be cozier and handier to view the plans at the Harnden home. Mr. Britt
agreed with a heartiness that clinched the hopes which gossip had given
Mr. Harnden. The father causally said he supposed, of course, that Vona
had gone home long before from the bank, and he watched Mr. Britt's
expression when the banker replied to a question as to how she was
getting on with her work.

"Yes, siree, she's a smart girl," corroborated the father, "and I have
always impressed on her mind that some day she was bound to rise high
and get what she deserves to have. Come early, Tasper, and we'll make a
pleasant evening of it."

Mr. Britt went early, but not early enough to catch Vona before she left
for the rehearsal.

Although it had been particularly easy to get Mr. Britt to come to
the house, Mr. Harnden was