a window open somewhere, isn't there, Is?" he inquired.
"There's a dreadful draught anyhow."

"Eh? Draught? I don't feel no draught. Course the window's open; it's
generally open in summer time, ain't it. Haw, haw!"

"There it is again! Where--Oh, _I_ see! It's your mouth that's open,
Issy. That explains the draught, of course. Yes, yes, of course."

"Eh? My mouth! Never you mind my mouth. What you've got to think about
is that Eddie Raymond. Yes sir-ee! Haw, haw!"

"Issy, what makes you make that noise?"

"What noise?"

"That awful cawing. If you're trying to make me believe you're a crow
you're wasting your time."

"Say, look here, Al Speranzy, be you crazy?"

"No-o, I'M not. But in your case--well, I'll leave it to any fair-minded
person--"

And so on until Mr. Price stamped disgustedly out of the office. It was
easy enough, and required nothing brilliant in the way of strategy or
repartee, to turn Issachar's attack into retreat. But all the rest
of that afternoon Albert was conscious of that peculiar feeling of
uneasiness. After supper that night he did not go down town at once but
sat in his room thinking deeply. The subjects of his thoughts were Edwin
Raymond, the young chap from New York, Yale, and "The Neck"--and Helen
Kendall. He succeeded only in thinking himself into an even more
uneasy and unpleasant state of mind. Then he walked moodily down to
the post-office. He was a little late for the mail and the laughing and
chatting groups were already coming back after its distribution. One
such group he met was made up of half a dozen young people on their way
to the drug store for ices and sodas. Helen was among them and with her
was young Raymond. They called to him to join them, but he pretended not
to hear.

Now, in all the years of their acquaintance it had not once occurred
to Albert Speranza that his interest in Helen Kendall was anything
more than that of a friend and comrade. He liked her, had enjoyed her
society--when he happened to be in the mood to wish society--and it
pleased him to feel that she was interested in his literary efforts
and his career. She was the only girl in South Harniss who would have
"talked turkey" to him as she had on the day of their adventure at High
Point Light and he rather admired her for it. But in all his dreams of
romantic attachments and sentimental adventure, and he had such dreams
of course, she had never played a part. The heroines of these dreams
were b