use you didn't see the way Blake looked at me," she
said.

"Yes, I saw," he answered. "I could have hit him for it. But I fixed
that."

"You--fixed that?" she gasped.

"I certainly did. I told him I sent the box, and told him why."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Then they'll all know, and--what am I going to
do? Oh, what am I going to do?"

It was a pitiful cry. He did not understand why it was so intense,
because he did not see what she saw--the gossip increasing in
maliciousness; the constant watching and nods and winks, until in the
end it became intolerable either to her or to Farnsworth. Nor was that
the possible end. To leave an office under these conditions was a
serious matter--a matter so serious as to affect her whole future.

"Now, see here," he pleaded. "Don't take it so hard. You're making too
much of it. Blake isn't going to talk any more. If he does--"

She raised her head.

"If he does, there isn't anything you can do about it."

"I'll bet there is."

"No--no--_no_. There isn't. I know! But you mustn't come here any
more. And you mustn't talk to me any more. Then perhaps they'll
forget."

He grew serious.

"It seems too bad if it's got to be that way," he answered.

"I ought to have known," she said.

"And I ought to have known, too. I was a fool to send that box into
the office, but I wanted you to get it before you went home."

She raised her eyes to his a moment. Then a queer, tender expression
softened her mouth.

"This is the end of it," she answered. "And now I'm glad you did not
know any better."

She rose to go, and then she noticed that he had not lunched.

"I'll wait here until you come back with your sandwich," she said.

"I don't want a sandwich," he protested.

"Please hurry."

So she waited there until he came back with his lunch, and then she
held out her hand to him.

"To-morrow you go to the old place," she said, "and I'll come here."

CHAPTER X

DICTATION

As far as Don was concerned, Miss Winthrop, instead of merely changing
her lunch-place, might just as well have taken a steamer and sailed
for Europe. He saw her at her desk every morning when he came in, and
she always looked up and nodded--as she did, for that matter, to every
one, including Blake. Then she turned to her work, and that was the
end of her until the next morning. As far as he was able to judge,
Miss Winthrop had completely and utterly forgotten the preceding weeks
and even the incide