s outside their doors at night, and they'll
find them cleaned in the morning. Well, pip, pip! I must be popping.
Time is money, you know, with us business men."

CHAPTER XVII. BROTHER BILL'S ROMANCE

"Her eyes," said Bill Brewster, "are like--like--what's the word I
want?"

He looked across at Lucille and Archie. Lucille was leaning forward
with an eager and interested face; Archie was leaning back with his
finger-tips together and his eyes closed. This was not the first time
since their meeting in Beale's Auction Rooms that his brother-in-law had
touched on the subject of the girl he had become engaged to marry during
his trip to England. Indeed, Brother Bill had touched on very little
else: and Archie, though of a sympathetic nature and fond of his young
relative, was beginning to feel that he had heard all he wished to hear
about Mabel Winchester. Lucille, on the other hand, was absorbed. Her
brother's recital had thrilled her.

"Like--" said Bill. "Like--"

"Stars?" suggested Lucille.

"Stars," said Bill gratefully. "Exactly the word. Twin stars shining in
a clear sky on a summer night. Her teeth are like--what shall I say?"

"Pearls?"

"Pearls. And her hair is a lovely brown, like leaves in autumn. In
fact," concluded Bill, slipping down from the heights with something of
a jerk, "she's a corker. Isn't she, Archie?"

Archie opened his eyes.

"Quite right, old top!" he said. "It was the only thing to do."

"What the devil are you talking about?" demanded Bill coldly. He had
been suspicious all along of Archie's statement that he could listen
better with his eyes shut.

"Eh? Oh, sorry! Thinking of something else."

"You were asleep."

"No, no, positively and distinctly not. Frightfully interested and rapt
and all that, only I didn't quite get what you said."

"I said that Mabel was a corker."

"Oh, absolutely in every respect."

"There!" Bill turned to Lucille triumphantly. "You hear that? And Archie
has only seen her photograph. Wait till he sees her in the flesh."

"My dear old chap!" said Archie, shocked. "Ladies present! I mean to
say, what!"

"I'm afraid that father will be the one you'll find it hard to
convince."

"Yes," admitted her brother gloomily.

"Your Mabel sounds perfectly charming, but--well, you know what father
is. It IS a pity she sings in the chorus."

"She-hasn't much of a voice,"-argued Bill-in extenuation.

"All the same--"

Archie, the conversation havi