e harshness; it was that clumsy
gallantry by which coarse men strive to pay court to charm.

The girl warranted the approving gaze which Mr. Craig gave to her. He
looked from her frank eyes to her copper-bronze hair, which seemed to
have a glint of sunshine in its waves. He liked the uplift of that round
chin--he remembered that it had seemed to indicate spirit--and he liked
spunk in a girl. He had enjoyed the conferences of the days of the
strike-breaking when he could survey her profile as she busied herself
with her writing, admiring the beauty curve of her lips.

Now he was thrilled by her manner of recognition; he had not expected
that much.

"I remember you, Mr. Craig," she assured the big man, her fingers as
firm in the grip as were his. "You were in here so much on the strike
matter two years ago."

"That's a long time for a New York young lady to remember a man from the
north woods."

"To save myself from seeming like a flatterer, I must say it's because
of the woods feature that I remember you so well. The forest interests
me. I'm afraid I'm inclined to be very foolish about the woods. Why, in
a cafeteria--last fall--there was----"

But she checked herself and flushed. She turned to Mern. "I beg your
pardon. I'm ready." She sat down and opened her notebook.

"But what about it?" quizzed Craig.

"A mere chance meeting with a man from the north country. I really don't
understand why I mentioned it. My interest in the woods--the thought of
the woods--tripped my tongue." She nodded to the stolid Mern as if to
remind him of the business in hand, and Mern ducked his square head at
Craig.

It was the habit of Mern to go thoroughly over a case with a client
before calling in Miss Kennard. At the second going-over in her presence
the topic was better shaken down, was in a more solidified form for her
notebook. The Comas director had already told his story once to the
chief.

Craig leaned back in his chair and gazed up at the ceiling, again
collecting his data in his mind. He had dictated before to Miss Kennard
and knew how Mern wanted his names and his facts. "Subject, the spring
drives on the Noda water. Object, hanging up or blocking the independent
drive of Echford Flagg and----"

Miss Kennard's pencil slipped somehow. It fell from her fingers, bounced
from the floor on its rubber tip, and ticked off the sharpened lead
when it hit the floor again.

Lida darted for it, picked it up, and ran out of the