"I like her," remarked Mrs. Duncan to Mr. Worthington.

"This is a splendid trip for you, eh, Cynthia?" Mr. Sutton persisted,
with a praiseworthy determination to be pleasant.

"It has turned out to be so, Mr. Sutton," replied Cynthia. This was
not precisely the answer Mr. Sutton expected, and to tell the truth, he
didn't know quite what to make of it.

"A great treat to see Washington and New York, isn't it?" said Mr.
Sutton, kindly, "a great treat for a Coniston girl. I suppose you came
through New York and saw the sights?"

"Is there another way to get to Washington?" asked Cynthia.

Mrs. Duncan nudged Mr. Worthington and drew a little nearer, while
Mr. Sutton began to wish he had not been lured into the conversation.
Cynthia had been very polite, but there was something in the quiet
manner in which the girl's eyes were fixed upon him that made him
vaguely uneasy. He could not back out with dignity, and he felt himself
on the verge of becoming voluble. Mr. Sutton prided himself on never
being voluble.

"Why, no," he answered, "we have to go to New York to get anywhere in
these days." There was a slight pause. "Uncle Jethro taking you and
Mr. Prescott on a little pleasure trip?" He had not meant to mention
Jethro's name, but he found himself, to his surprise, a little at a loss
for a subject.

"Well, partly a pleasure trip. It's always a pleasure for Uncle Jethro
to do things for others," said Cynthia, quietly, "although people do not
always appreciate what he does for them."

The Honorable Heth coughed. He was now very uncomfortable, indeed.
How much did this astounding young person know, whom he had thought so
innocent?

"I didn't discover he was in town until I ran across him in the corridor
this evening. Should have liked to have introduced him to some of the
Washington folks--some of the big men, although not many of 'em are
here," Mr. Sutton ran on, not caring to notice the little points of
light in Cynthia's eyes. (The idea of Mr. Sutton introducing Uncle
Jethro to anybody!) "I haven't seen Ephraim Prescott. It must be a
great treat for him, too, to get away on a little trip and see his army
friends. How is he?"

"He's very happy," said Cynthia.

"Happy!" exclaimed Mr. Sutton. "Oh, yes, of course, Ephraim's always
happy, in spite of his troubles and his rheumatism. I always liked
Ephraim Prescott."

Cynthia did not answer this remark at all, and Mr. Sutton suspected
strongly that she did not bel