n friends with her company, and, returning mollified,
would make peace again, as had happened before. Still, he was uneasy
until he espied her writing-case with the end of a letter protruding.
Reading the letter, he discovered it to be an invitation to Victoria.
He noticed on the blotter the reversed impression of an addressed
envelope, which showed that she had answered the invitation. Two days
passed, and, hearing nothing, he grew dissatisfied again, and drafted a
diplomatic telegram to the friends in Victoria. It happened that
Shackleby was in his office when the answer arrived.

"Has Thurston come into town yet? You told me you saw your way to keep
him here," said Shackleby. "Didn't you mention he had the handling of
a small legacy left Mrs. Leslie?"

"It is strange, but he has not arrived," was the answer. "My wife is
an old friend of his, and I had counted on her help in detaining him,
but, unfortunately, she considered it necessary to accept an invitation
to Victoria somewhat suddenly."

"I should hardly have fancied Thurston was an old friend of--yours,"
Shackleby remarked with a carelessness which almost blunted the sneer.
"I'm also a little surprised at what you tell me, because I saw Mrs.
Leslie hurrying along to the Atlantic express. She couldn't book that
way to Victoria."

"You must have been mistaken," said Leslie, who turned towards a clerk
holding out a telegraphic envelope. He ripped it open and read the
enclosure with a smothered ejaculation.

"Can't understand your wire. Mrs. Leslie not here. Wrote saying she
could not come."

"Excuse the liberty. I believe I have a right to inspect all
correspondence," observed Shackleby, coolly leaning over and picking up
the message. Then he looked straight at Leslie, and there was a
moment's silence before he asked, "How much does Mrs. Leslie know about
your business?"

"I don't know," answered the anxious man in desperation. "I had to
tell her a little so that she could help me."

"So I guessed!" commented Shackleby. "Now, I don't want to hurt your
feelings, but you can't afford to quarrel with me if I do. You're
coming straight with me to the depot to find out where Mrs. Leslie
bought a ticket to."

"I'll see you hanged first," broke out Leslie. "Isn't it enough that
you presume to read my private correspondence? I'll suffer no
interference with my domestic affairs."

Shackleby laughed contemptuously. "You'll just come along i