no less--that youth felt himself
suffocating, burning up. Mr. Gray sure knew how to talk; he could sling
language. And _lie_--! Gosh, how beautifully he could lie! It was
splendid of him to exaggerate like this, so as to set him in solid with
the most important person in town. That was noble! People were awful
nice. And this certainly was a grand city. Buddy knew he was going to
get along fine; and he'd never forget Mr. Gray for this.

After a while, when the two men were on the street again, Buddy
inquired: "Who is that young lady? I mean--her name?"

Gray told him, then with a friendly twinkle: "Well, speak out! What do
you think of her?"

"Oh--_Gee_!" Buddy cried, breathlessly, whereupon his companion laughed
in perfect satisfaction.

CHAPTER XXVIII

Gray returned to his desk that morning after his call on "Bob" Parker
determined to tackle energetically the numerous business details
needing his attention, but he found that he could not do so. As usual,
his brief sight of the girl, instead of satisfying him, had merely
increased his hunger; made him the more restless, the more eager to see
her again--alone. He gave up fighting his desires, presently, and
invented the necessity of a hurried trip to the Avenger lease.

Her ready acceptance of the invitation he construed to indicate an
eagerness akin to his own, and during the several hours they were
together he had hard work to keep from breaking his resolve and telling
her all she had come to mean to him.

"Bob" seemed to expect something of the sort, as a matter of fact. Her
shyness, her fluttering agitation when his voice unconsciously became
tender--and he realized that, in spite of himself, the tone of his
voice conveyed a message quite at variance with his words--taxed his
self-control to the utmost. Well, it wouldn't be long now--another two
weeks perhaps! But two weeks is an eternity when hearts are pounding,
when ears are strained and lips are waiting.

Two callers were awaiting Gray when, late that afternoon, he mounted
the stairs to his office--Tom Parker and Judge Halloran--and something
in their formal, awkward greeting sent a quick chill of alarm through
him. Mechanically he ushered them into his private room and offered
them chairs. He heard himself chatting casually enough, but neither his
own words nor theirs conveyed much meaning to him. Nelson, it seemed,
scorned no advantage, however dishonorable. Gray's hatred of the man
attained deep