e here!" she called, as he still stood gaping.
"I 'll give you five dollars. Hurry!"

Fairchild managed to voice the fact that he would be willing to help
without remuneration, as he hurried forward, still staring at her, a
vibrant little thing with dark-brown wisps of hair which had been blown
from beneath her cap straying about equally dark-brown, snapping eyes
and caressing the corners of tightly pressed, momentarily impatient
lips. Only a second she hesitated, then dived for the tonneau, jerking
with all her strength at the heavy seat cushion, as he stepped to the
running board beside her.

"Can't get this dinged thing up!" she panted. "Always sticks when you
're in a hurry. That's it! Jerk it. Thanks! Here!" She reached
forward and a small, sun-tanned hand grasped a greasy jack, "Slide
under the back axle and put this jack in place, will you? And rush it!
I 've got to change a tire in nothing flat! Hurry!"

Fairchild, almost before he knew it, found himself under the rear of
the car, fussing with a refractory lifting jack and trying to keep his
eyes from the view of trimly clad, brown-shod little feet, as they
pattered about at the side of the car, hurried to the running board,
then stopped as wrenches and a hammer clattered to the ground. Then
one shoe was raised, to press tight against a wheel; metal touched
metal, a feminine gasp sounded as strength was exerted in vain, then
eddying dust as the foot stamped, accompanied by an exasperated
ejaculation.

"Ding these old lugs! They 're rusted! Got that jack in place yet?"

"Yes! I'm raising the car now."

"Oh, please hurry." There was pleading in the tone now. "Please!"

The car creaked upward. Out came Fairchild, brushing the dust from his
clothes. But already the girl was pressing the lug wrench into his
hands.

"Don't mind that dirt," came her exclamation. "I 'll--I 'll give you
some extra money to get your suit cleaned. Loosen those lugs, while I
get the spare tire off the back. And for goodness' sake, please hurry!"

Astonishment had taken away speech for Fairchild. He could only
wonder--and obey. Swiftly he twirled the wrench while lug after lug
fell to the ground, and while the girl, struggling with a tire
seemingly almost as big as herself, trundled the spare into position to
await the transfer. As for Fairchild, he was in the midst of a task
which he had seen performed far more times than he had done it himself.
He strove