Redfield Pepper Burns
heard none of it. Even with Pauline "perching" on the arm of Ellen
Lessing's chair, her face within eight inches of the other face, she was
not within the field of his vision.

"I am sure the operation was successful," said Mrs. Lessing.

"One can see it in his eyes," declared Pauline. "I never knew hazel eyes
could be so brilliant."

"It went through," admitted Burns. "It had to, you know. And I had a
thing to make last evening."

"Arthur told us about it," chattered Pauline. "It was like a sna--"

"You didn't miss my not coming over," said Burns. He was leaning
forward, his hands on his knees, his rumpled head near enough so that
very low tones could reach the person to whom he spoke. He did not once
look at Pauline. One would have thought that that fact alone would have
quieted her, but it did not.

"Indeed we did--awfully!" cried Pauline.

"Neither did I myself, then, Mrs. Lessing. I miss it now. I shall miss
it more whenever I think about it. I don't know of but one thing that
can possibly make it up to me."

"Name it! You don't deserve it, but our hearts are rather tender, and
we might grant--" Pauline looked arch. But what was the use? Nobody saw.
Even the passengers were watching the one in gray. Spectators always
watch the woman at whom the man is looking. And in this case it seemed
well worth while, for even the most admirable reserve of manner could
not control the tell-tale colour which was slowly mounting under the
direct and continued gaze of the man with the red hair. The man himself,
it occurred to more than one passenger, was rather well worth study.

"It's always been a theory of mine that no woman can know a man until
she's exchanged letters with him for a considerable period of time--say,
a winter," Burns went on. Pauline, made some sort of an exclamation,
but he failed to notice it--"Neither can a man know a woman. It's a
stimulating experience. Suppose we try it?"

"How often do you propose to write to us?" inquired Pauline.

Now, at last, Red Pepper Burns looked at her. If she had known him
better, she would have known that all his vows to keep his tongue from
certain words were at that moment very nearly as written in water. But
the look he gave her stung her for an instant into silence.

"I shall want to hear about Bob," Ellen replied, "all you can tell me.
I have promised to write to him. You will have to read the letters aloud
to him--which will give you a v