er to the station-house on the
following morning, and found Lady Jess looking out of a window with
a rather dreary interest in the scene. But she instantly caught sight
of them and darted to the doorway to meet them, holding out both hands
toward the lawyer and entreating:

"Oh! I beg your pardon for the 'boys'! And for us that we should ever
have let it happen to any guest of Sobrante. Can you forgive it?"

The reporter looked curious and Mr. Hale's face flushed at the painful
memory her words had revived. But he did not explain and passed the
matter over, saying:

"Don't mention it, my child. Odd, isn't it? To think you should follow
me so quickly all this long way. Well, you deserve success and I'm
going to help you to it, if I can. So is this new friend you've made.
Now, are you ready to see poor 'Forty-niner'? If so, get your cap,
bid the matron good-by, and we'll be off."

Jessica obeyed, quickly; taking leave of Mrs. Wood with warm expressions
of gratitude for her "nice bed and breakfast," assuring that rather
skeptical person that these men "were certainly all right, because one
of them had been at her own dear home and her mother had recognized him
for a gentleman. The other--why, the other wrote for a newspaper. Even
drew pictures for it! Think of that!"

"Humph! A man might do worse. But, never mind. This is the place to
come to if you get into any more trouble. There's the street and number
it is, and here's my name on a piece of paper. Now, it's to be put
in the book about your going, who takes you, and where. After that--after
that I suppose there's nothing more."

Ninian Sharp watched this little by-play with much interest, and remarked
to the lawyer:

"That child has a charm for all she meets. Even this old police matron,
whose heart ought to be as tough as shoeleather, looks doleful at
parting with her. I think her the most winning little creature I ever
met."

"You should see her with her 'boys,' as she calls the workmen at
Sobrante. They idolize her and obey her blindly. Sometimes, their
devotion going further than obedience," he added, with a return of
annoyance in his expression.

As she stepped into the street, Jessica clasped a hand of each, with
joyful confidence, and they smiled at one another over her head, leading
her to the next corner where they hailed a car and the reporter bade
her jump aboard.

"Am I to ride in that? Oh, delightful!"

"Delightful" now seemed everything abou