.

Phyllis, busy unwrapping a package of papers, glanced up to see his
curly head in the stamp window.

"Anything for L. Keller?" he wanted to know, after he had unburdened
himself of a friendly "Mornin', Miss Sanderson."

Her impulse was to ask him how his wound was, but she repressed it
sternly. She took the letters from the K pigeonhole and found two for
him.

"Thank you, I'm feeling fine," he laughed, gathering up his mail.

"I didn't ask you how you were feeling," she answered, turning coldly to
her newspapers.

"I thought mebbe you'd want to know about my punctured tire."

"It's very good of you to relieve my anxiety."

"Let me relieve it some more, Miss Sanderson. Here's the knife you
lost."

She glanced up carelessly at the pearl-handled knife he pushed through
the window. "I didn't know it was lost."

"Well, now you know it's found. When do you remember seeing it last,
ma'am?"

"I lent it to a friend two days ago."

"Oh, to a friend--two days ago."

His eyes were on her so steadily that the girl was aware of some
significance he gave to the fact, some hidden meaning that escaped her.

"What friend did you say, Miss Sanderson?"

He asked it casually, but his question irritated her.

"I didn't say, sir."

"That's so. You didn't."

"Where did you get it?" she demanded.

He grinned. "I'll tell you that if you'll tell me who you lent it to."

Her curt answer reminded him that he was in her eyes a convicted
criminal. "It's of no importance, sir."

"That's what you think, Miss Sanderson."

She sorted the newspapers in the bundle, and began to slip them into the
private boxes where they belonged. Presently, however, her curiosity
demanded satisfaction. Without looking at him, she volunteered
information.

"But there's no mystery about it. Phil borrowed the knife to fix a
stirrup leather, and forgot to give it back to me."

"Your brother?"

"Yes."

He was taken aback. There was nothing for it but a white lie. "I found
it near Yeager's mine yesterday. I reckon he must have dropped it on his
way there."

"I don't see anything very mysterious about that," she said frostily.

She looked so definitely unaware of him as she worked that he fell back
from the window and passed out to the porch. He had found out more than
he wanted to know.

Jim Yeager's drawling voice came to him, gentle and low as usual, but
with an edge to it. "I been discoverin' I'm some unpopular to-day,
Brill. Malpa