kly, and the loud "Ha! ha! ha!" that fell
from his lips struck upon the girl's sensitive nerves most unpleasantly.

She was wondering how she should make her presence known to him, when
suddenly he turned around, and then he saw her and a quick gleam of
intense admiration leaped into his bold, dark eyes at the vision of the
lovely, blushing, dimpled face of the slender, graceful young girl.

"I am here in response to your summons, Mr. Armstrong," she said, with
much embarrassment. "Your bell rang so imperatively that--"

"I didn't ring any bell, my dear," he exclaimed, "but still I am
uncommonly glad to see you. Sit down and we'll have a little chat."

"There is a customer awaiting my return as soon as you--"

"Oh, hang the customer," cut in Kendale. "Sit down, pretty one, and
we'll make each other's acquaintance."

Margery looked at him in helpless bewilderment.

Had handsome Lester Armstrong, the hero of her dream, gone suddenly mad,
she wondered?

"Sit down, my dear," he reiterated, "don't look at me in such affright.
I'm not an ogre; I don't intend to eat you, though, upon my honor, those
peachy cheeks and pomegranate lips are most wonderfully tempting."

Margery was so intensely surprised she was fairly speechless--incapable
of word or action.

From where she stood the fumes of strong brandy reached her, and she
realized that the man before her was under its influence to an alarming
extent.

No wonder her pretty face paled; even her lips grew white.

She stood before him as one mesmerized by the baleful gleam in his
merciless concentrated gaze, as the fluttering, frightened bird does in
the presence of the deadly serpent that means to destroy it.

"Won't be sociable, eh?" muttered Kendale. "You are not diplomatic; you
don't know your own interests. Sit down here and tell me all about
yourself--how long you have been here, and all about it. I ought to
know, of course, but I forget. Come, brush up my memory a bit, won't
you?"

"Your memory seems indeed very poor all at once," said Margery,
spiritedly, "considering the fact that you have known me since I was a
little child"--and, in spite of her efforts at self-control, big tears
brimmed over the pretty eyes and rolled down the round cheeks.

In an instant Kendale was on his feet.

"There, there, Susie, don't cry," he said, reaching her side quickly and
grasping both of the little clasped hands in one of his.

"You must have some one else in your m