s
standpoint is essentially different from a woman's."

"I never think of him as a man," the girl replied, simply. "He is so far
above and beyond any man I have ever known that I have never thought of
him as only that."

XXV

A week later the Gorhams' dinner-table received two unexpected
additions. Gorham had returned from Chicago earlier in the day, and
found a telegram awaiting him which announced that Senator Kenmore would
call at his house at five o'clock that afternoon. As he was unable to
complete his work upon the accumulated matters which demanded immediate
attention, he put the papers into his bag, and took Allen with him to
the house in time to keep his appointment with the Senator, intending to
continue his day's labors after his caller had departed.

During the weeks which had elapsed since Gorham's conversation with
Allen, the boy's attitude toward him manifested a respect so marked that
the older man saw in it an effort to atone for his momentary disloyalty;
in his work he was devoted and exact to a degree beyond anything he had
previously demonstrated; inwardly he was the investigator. Never had he
put himself through so merciless a self-examination. He felt keenly
Alice's misunderstanding of his dislike of business; he blamed himself
for having spoken so freely to Mr. Gorham before he had fully satisfied
himself that the doubts he expressed at that time were based on anything
beyond inexperience and a lack of knowledge. He knew that he had
committed an error in accusing Covington before he could substantiate
his statements. He was glad, therefore, to be able to work this all out
in his own mind during the absence of his chief, yet when Mr. Gorham
returned, the boy was still further embarrassed by his special
kindliness toward him.

Kenmore's face wore a worried expression as he entered the hall soon
after Gorham and Allen arrived. He was shown at once to the library,
where he and Gorham passed the next two hours in close conference.
Indeed, the discussion was sufficiently important to hold Kenmore longer
than he expected, and to cause Gorham to break over a rule which he had
never before violated, in discussing business matters at the
dinner-table and in the presence of his family.

The thought had come to Gorham, as he was rushing along toward New York
on the limited express, of the rapidity with which events had shaped
themselves since that moment, only a few weeks earlier, when he had s