does not happen to be the kind of piano one can take to pieces,
Miss Grant, is it?" I asked.

"It is," she answered, "but that one might not be able to put it
together again."

It was another bull's eye for the lady.

She went on. "I have never received a piano,--knocked down."

Something inside of me sniggered at the phrase, for it was purely a
business one. But I was too busy just then figuring the ins and outs
of the matter to give way to any hilarity.

"Thanks so much! What a relief!" she sighed, with a nod to her silent
companion, who nodded in return.

"Oh!--may I have five cents' worth of pins,--Mister, Mister----"

"Mr. Bremner," I added.

"Thank you!"

"Hair pins, hat pins, safety pins or clothes pins?" I queried.

"Just pins,--with points and heads on them,--if you don't mind."

I bowed ceremoniously.

"We shall be over this afternoon, when we have made a list of the
supplies we require," she went on.

As I hunted for the pins, she began to look in her purse for a five
cent piece.

"Oh!--never mind," I said; "I can charge these to your bill in the
afternoon."

"No! thank you," she replied, airily and lightly;--oh! so very, very
airily that I would not have been surprised had she flown away.

"Your terms are strictly cash;--I would not disturb your business
routine for worlds."

As I held out the package to her, I stopped and, for the first time, I
felt really at ease and equal to her.

"Possibly you would prefer that I send this package round by the
delivery wagon?" I said.

She picked the paper package from between my fingers and her chin went
into the air at a most dangerous elevation, while her eyelids closed
over her eyes, allowing long, golden-brown lashes to brush her cheeks.
Then, without a word, she turned her back on me and passed through the
doorway with her companion, or chaperon, or aunt, or whatever relation
to her the elderly lady might be.

"So foolish!" I heard her exclaim, under her breath, then she went over
something on her fingers to the elderly lady, who laughed and started
in to talk volubly.

The mystery of that madam's benign smile solved itself: she was
evidently talkative enough, but she was as deaf as a wooden block and
used her smile to cover her deficiency.

Had I only known, how I could have defended myself against, and lashed
out in return at, that tantalising, self-possessed, wit-battling, and,
despite it all, extremely feminine young lady!

T