ave come to see you----" she began.

"Jolly good of you," said Bones enthusiastically. "You've no idea how
fearsomely lonely I get sometimes. I often say to people: 'Look me up,
dear old thing, any time between ten and twelve or two and four; don't
stand on ceremony----'"

"I've come to see you----" she began again.

"You're a kind young miss," murmured Bones, and she laughed.

"You're not used to having girls in this office, are you?"

"You're the first," said Bones, with a dramatic flourish, "that ever
burst tiddly-um-te-um!"

To be mistaken for a welcome visitor--she was that, did she but guess
it--added to her natural embarrassment.

"Well," she said desperately, "I've come for work."

He stared at her, refixing his monocle.

"You've come for work my dear old--my jolly old--young miss?"

"I've come for work," she nodded.

Bones's face was very grave.

"You've come for work." He thought a moment; then: "What work? Of
course," he added in a flurry, "there's plenty of work to do! Believe
me, you don't know the amount I get through in this sanctum--that's
Latin for 'private office'--and the wretched old place is never
tidy--never! I am seriously thinking"--he frowned--"yes, I am very
seriously thinking of sacking the lady who does the dusting. Why, do
you know, this morning----"

Her eyes were smiling now, and she was to Bones's unsophisticated eyes,
and, indeed, to eyes sophisticated, superhumanly lovely.

"I haven't come for a dusting job," she laughed.

"Of course you haven't," said Bones in a panic. "My dear old lady--my
precious--my young person, I should have said--of course you haven't!
You've come for a job--you've come to work! Well, you shall have it!
Start right away!"

She stared.

"What shall I do?" she asked.

"What would I like you to do?" said Bones slowly. "What about
scheming, getting out ideas, using brains, initiative, bright----" He
trailed off feebly as she shook her head.

"Do you want a secretary?" she asked, and Bones's enthusiasm rose to
the squeaking point.

"The very thing! I advertised in this morning's _Times_. You saw the
advertisement?"

"You are not telling the truth," she said, looking at him with eyes
that danced. "I read all the advertisement columns in _The Times_ this
morning, and I am quite sure that you did not advertise."

"I meant to advertise," said Bones gently. "I had the idea last night;
that's the very piece of paper I was writing