art against them both. He knew his theory was right; he now had the
chance to put it into practice.

The Green Imp turned a corner to the right. They were not yet out of the
city, and at the next block the car turned another corner, also to the
right. At the end of another block the Imp, swerved once more--to
the right. This brought them back to the wide street which led to the
shopping district they had lately left. With silent passengers the Imp
threaded its way to the toy shop. In front of it Burns stopped the car.
He got out and went in and came out, the big rocking-horse in the arms
of the salesman who followed him.

He looked up at their faces. Bob's was one wide-eyed countenance of
incredulous joy. The other's--if he had seen there satisfaction at
having brought a man to terms he felt he should have despised her; but
that was not what he saw.

There was, by planning carefully, just room to wedge the rocking-horse
in at Mrs. Lessing's feet without encroaching on the steering-gear. As
they drove off, Bob was bending over and gently, stroking the animal's
splendid black mane, with little chuckles and gurgles of joy. Once more
Burns looked at Ellen Lessing behind Bob's back.

"You're happy now, aren't you?" he asked in tone of assurance. "Then,
confound it, I must own I'm paid for letting my wise bachelor notions go
hang, just for this time!"

"Thank you," she answered very gently. "And I'm paid for trying to be
reasonable."

He laughed, suddenly content. Between them, the little lad who had never
owned a toy in his life, stowing the red train carefully away between
has feet, gave himself wholly to the rocking-horse.

"Well, Ellen," was Martha Macauley's greeting to her sister, "did you
have as interesting a time dressing the child as you expected?"

"I had a charming time," replied Mrs. Lessing. She shook the dust out of
her long gray veils smiling at her memory of the morning.

"Did R. P. prove docile?"

"'Docile' doesn't seem to me just the word."

"I used it in an attempt at fine irony," explained! Mrs. Macauley.

"Well, was he tractable, then?"

"He was very polite and kind and jolly--until the real business of
shopping began. Then he became suspicious--and a trifle autocratic." She
recalled his look as he told her that he would trust her, but that he
meant to keep an eye upon her.

"Didn't you get your own way about anything?" demanded her sister, with
eager curiosity.

Ellen looked at her.