lled her.

"Augusta!"

"Yes?" impatiently.

"Come here."

"What is it?" She made no movement to return.

"If you please--one moment."

"I'll be back in a little while."

"But I want to speak to you now." His tone was a command.

"Pshaw!" She frowned in annoyance, but reluctantly obeyed.

"Where are you going?"

"Over to the hotel," she answered shortly.

"To look for Dr. Harpe?"

Resentment was in her curt answer--

"Yes."

"Don't go, Augusta."

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you."

"You can talk when I come back."

"I want to talk now; please sit down."

She made no motion to do so.

"What's the matter with you, Augusta?"

"Nothing,"--her face was sullen--"only I don't like to be ordered
about."

"I'm not ordering you, as you put it, but I've a surprise for you and I
want to tell you of it."

For answer she looked at him inquiringly.

"We're going to Chicago to-morrow."

Instead of the pleasure which he anticipated would light her dark eyes,
there was a look rather of apprehension, of disapproval, of anything, in
fact, but delight.

"Aren't you _glad_?" he asked in amazement.

"I'm not ready; I've no clothes."

"We can soon remedy that."

She stood before him in sullen silence and he finally asked--

"Well?"

"I don't _want_ to go, if you must know!" She blurted the answer rudely
and turned away.

"Augusta! Wait!"

"I'm going to the hotel," she flung over her shoulder.

She kept on walking.

"Come back."

Unlatching the gate she flung it open in defiance.

"No!" She seemed like a person obsessed.

Symes arose and walked quickly after her. She stopped then and Symes
wondered at his own self-control as he faced her.

"Augusta," he said quietly, "Dr. Harpe is not coming here again."

He saw her face pale.

"Why not?" Her vehemence startled him.

"Because I have told her not to; she understands."

"How dare you?" Her voice rose shrill and her eyes blazed into his.
"She's my friend!"

"No, she's not your friend or my friend." He grasped her wrist as she
started to go. "You've got to listen; you've got to hear me out! I found
her out to-day and I meant to tell you when we had gone from here, but
you are forcing me to do it now." Still grasping her wrist he told her
briefly of the interview and the price he had paid for her silence. When
he had done she wrenched herself free.

"I don't believe it! Anyway, why shouldn't you give her the contract?
Why shouldn