ch to me, Miss Summers."

"But I was thinking of him," she said gravely.

And the slate-gray eyes, as they rested on the little man, were very
gentle. . . . .

CHAPTER VI

SPELLS

A unwonted excitement pervaded the offices of Radbourne & Company on that
Saturday morning, radiated no doubt from the head of the concern himself.
He flitted about restlessly, tugged at his whiskers continually, and his
voice, as he rattled off his correspondence to Miss Brown, had a happy
boyish lilt. Occasionally, chancing to catch Miss Summers' eye, he would
nod with a sly knowing smile.

For the original program for Saturday had been enlarged. Miss Summers
and David had been notified to be ready at mid-afternoon for an event as
yet cloaked in secrecy.

Mid-afternoon arrived. Radbourne glanced out into the street, nodded
with satisfaction, closed his desk with a bang--greatly to the relief of
Miss Brown, who would now have leisure to recopy the letters she had
bungled--and vanished into his cloak-room.

At the same moment David strolled into Miss Summers' presence, watch in
hand.

"The hour has struck," he burlesqued. "What doth it hold?"

"Whatever it is," she answered, "you must seem to be delighted."

"I think I shall be." David was actually smiling. "For the last hour
I've been looking at my watch every five minutes. This excitement is
infectious. He hasn't grown up, has he?"

"But isn't that his great charm?" Miss Summers seemed already delighted
over something.

"Charm?" David looked doubtful. "I hadn't thought of him as--"

But he did not finish. Quick staccato footsteps were heard. Then a
strange vision burst upon them--Jonathan Radbourne accoutered for
motoring, in visored cap and duster, with a huge pair of shell-rimmed
goggles that sat grotesquely athwart his beaming countenance. On one arm
he carried a veil and another coat.

"Ready?" And to their astonished gaze he explained, "First we're going
for a little run--if it is agreeable to you?"

They assured him, in italics, that it was.

"Then let us hurry." He handed the coat and veil to Miss Summers. "I
brought these along for you. They are my mother's. I got them for her
but she never would go out in a machine. She thinks it would be tempting
Providence. I'm sorry," this to David, "I had nothing to fit you. Can
you do without?"

David put him at ease on that point, and Miss Summers retired.

In a few minutes, fewer than you m