elephone connecting it with the rest of the house and with his
place of business. It also had connections with a long distance system.
The door to his den was always locked, and no one could gain admission
without first calling him up over the telephone.

One day Mrs. Marsh, who was a good mimic imitated the voice of a foreman
in Mr. Seabright's factory and caused him to open the door of his den.
When Mr. Seabright caught sight of a woman's face and form he made a
quick attempt to close the door, but Mrs. Marsh apprehending such an
attempt, thrust a foot in so as to prevent this.

"Will you kindly withdraw?" asked Mr. Seabright, excitedly, holding the
door as nearly closed as the foot would allow.

"No, thank you; I have had too hard a time getting here," said Mrs.
Marsh cheerily. "To be frank, Mr. Seabright, would you allow a lady to
be able to truthfully charge you with discourtesy?" asked Mrs. Marsh
naively.

Mr. Seabright opened the door in despair, intending to dart out of the
room as soon as Mrs. Marsh entered.

Mrs. Marsh was looking for just such a step and forestalled it by
closing the door and pocketing the key. She now took a seat and bade Mr.
Seabright to do likewise. Seeing that he had an unusual character to
deal with, Mr. Seabright sat down resignedly to await the further
pleasure of his female captor.

Mrs. Marsh looked directly at Mr. Seabright, and said, "I have broken
through all rules of propriety in order to get to you. I wish to say to
you, Mr. Seabright, that this plea of absorption in your business is all
humbug. You have other and secret reasons for not desiring to appear in
our social circles."

The perspiration broke out in great beads on Mr. Seabright's face.

"You have treated your wife and daughter shamefully, refusing to honor
their social affairs with your presence," continued Mrs. Marsh.

The tone of reproach in this remark, indicating that Mrs. Marsh did not
approve of his absence from social functions, caused Mr. Seabright to
feel slightly better, as she evidently did not think that the secret
reasons governing his course were to his discredit personally, else she
would not have lamented his absence.

"You are from the North and rate the Southern women as being beneath
your notice, do you?" inquired Mrs. Marsh.

"O no! no! no!" said Mr. Seabright. "On the contrary, I very much
admire----," he did not finish the sentence, some fresh thought checking
him in the midst of the