jewelry, and the obtrusive, fighting
teeth disappeared forever from Nattie's sight, leaving her with a
bewildered look on her face, as if, indeed, just awakened from that
imagined nightmare.

She looked around the office blankly. Everything was there just as
usual, the little key and the sounder, over which had come all "C's"
pleasant talk. "C!" That creature! The odor of his detestable musk
hovered about her even now, but not yet could she realize that her "C"
was no more.

CHAPTER VII.

"GOOD-BY."

It was a very long face that Nattie carried to the Hotel Norman that
night; so long that Miss Kling at once saw that something was amiss, and
while curiously wondering as to the cause, took a grim satisfaction in
the fact. For Miss Kling liked not to see cheerful faces; why should
others be happy when she had not found her other self?

Nattie's first act on gaining her own room was to drag forth that
carefully-preserved pen and ink sketch, and tear it to atoms,
annihilating the chubby Cupid with especial care.

"And now," she thought to herself savagely, as she burned up the pieces,
"I never will be interested in people again, unless I know all about
them. Imagination is too dangerous a guide for me!"

Having thus exterminated the illustrated edition of her romance, Nattie
felt the necessity of unburdening her mind, her sorrow not being too
deep for words, and with that object sought Cyn; a proceeding much
disapproved of by Miss Kling, who, knowing well that weakness of human
nature that seeks a friendly bosom wherein to repose its sorrows,
rightly surmised her lodger's destination and design, and decidedly
objected to any one knowing more than she herself did.

Nattie found her friend at home, but to her vexation, not alone. With
her was Quimby, who had called in the untold hope of gleaning tidings of
the young lady who had--as he said to himself--floored him. His
confusion at the sight of her, remembering as he did the somewhat
unusual circumstances of their last meeting, was indescribable; indeed,
his knees actually knocked together. Nattie, however, whose latest
experience had effaced the effect, and almost the remembrance of that
former one, bade him good-evening, without the least trace of
consciousness or embarrassment, a composure of manner that astounded but
at the same time filled him with admiration.

As he did not take his departure, being, in fact, unable to tear himself
away, Nattie, in h