back of an old dog-eared guitar instructor, which she
found in the book-case, she copied many titles of ballads, and among
them came across the line, "Friend of my soul, the goblet sip." It was
one which she knew Phil was familiar with, for she remembered having
heard him sing it at the Wigwam. So she promptly chose the first four
words as the ones with which to commence. The first part of the letter
ran somewhat after this fashion:

"LONE-ROCK (NOT) BY THE SEA.

"'FRIEND OF MY SOUL':--'The day is cold and
dark and dreary.' 'In the gloaming,' 'The
swallows homeward fly.' 'The daily question
is,' 'What's this dull town to me?' 'Tell me
not in mournful numbers' that 'I'd better bide
a wee.' 'Oh, 'tis not true!' 'I hear the angel
voices calling' 'Where the sun shines bright on
my old Kentucky home,' and 'I want what I want
_when I want it_.'"

It took an entire evening to evolve a letter which suited her, and
although it was utter foolishness, she managed to give the news and to
convey through the cleverly combined titles the fact that she was still
struggling to get away from Lone-Rock, that there was no "swain amang
the train" to keep her from "going back to Dixie" "in the sweet bye and
bye." She also found a way to make complimentary mention of Bonnie
Eloise.

That was the last evening, however, which she devoted to trivial things
for many weeks. For Jack came home next noon greatly troubled over
conditions at the office. The bookkeeper was down with pneumonia. There
was no one who could step into his place but Jack, and he already had
his hands full with his own responsibilities and duties.

"It is the correspondence which worries me most," he said. "We haven't
had enough of that kind of work, so far, to justify us hiring a
stenographer, but some days the mail is so heavy that it keeps me
pounding on the typewriter an hour or more. Now, Mary, if you had only
added shorthand to your many accomplishments, there'd be a fine chance
for you to help hold the fort till Bailey gets well."

"I can help do it, anyhow," she declared promptly. "I know how business
letters ought to sound--'Yours of recent date' and 'enclosed herewith
please find' and all that sort of thing. I can scratch off in pencil a
sort of outline of what you want said, and then take my time copying it
on the machine."

Past experience had taught the fa