, helpless fashion while he bent
over her seat and whispered awkwardly:

"You look kind and obliging, miss--could you help me a little?"

His tone was so genuine in its appeal, so distressed and hesitating, it
was impossible to resent his question.

"If I can--yes," was the prompt answer.

"You won't mind?" he asked, fumbling his hat.

"No--what is it?"

Mary had recovered her composure as his distress had increased and
looked steadily into his steel blue eyes inquiringly.

"You see," he went on, in low hurried tones, "I'm all worked up about
the mountains of North Carolina--thinkin' o' goin' down there to
Asheville in a car, an' I want to look the bloomin' place up and kind o'
get my bearin's before I start. A lawyer friend o' mine told me to come
here and I'd find all the maps in the Century Dictionary. The man at the
desk out there told me to come in this room and look in the shelves
on the left and take it right out. Gee, the place is so big, I get all
rattled. I found the Century Dictionary on that shelf----"

He paused and smiled helplessly.

"I thought a dictionary was one book--there's a dozen of 'em marked
alike. I'm afraid to pull 'em all down an' I don't know where to
begin--COULD you help me--please?"

"Certainly, with pleasure," she answered, quickly rising and leading the
way back to the shelf at which he had been gazing.

"You want the atlas volume," she explained, drawing the book from the
shelf and returning to the seat.

He followed promptly and bent over her shoulder while she pointed out
the map of North Carolina, the position of Asheville and the probable
route he must follow to get there.

"Thanks!" he exclaimed gratefully.

"Not at all," she replied simply. "I'm only too glad to be of service to
you."

Her answer emboldened him to ask another question.

"You don't happen to know anything about that country down there, do
you?"

"Why, yes. I know a great deal about it----"

"Sure enough?"

"I've been through Asheville many times and spent a summer there once."

"Did you?"

His tones implied that he plainly regarded her as a prodigy of
knowledge. His whole attitude suggested at once the mind of an alert,
interested boy asking his teacher for information on a subject near to
his heart. It was impossible to resist his appeal.

"Why, yes," Mary went on in low, rapid tones. "My people live in the
Kentucky mountains."

He bent low and gently touched her arm.

"Say, we can