en, and a shimmery gray squirrel.

"I think they're both lovely, and I can't quite make up my mind," she
said at last, in a tone of mock despair. "It's worse than picking out
toboggan caps. I just helped Mr. Wentworth select one--and, oh, by the
way, I believe dad is going to find a place for him."

"For who?" asked Hedin, and Jean noticed tiny wrinkles gather between
his eyes.

"Why, for Mr. Wentworth, of course. You see, I told dad that he'd just
lost his position with that old Nettle River thing they were trying to
put through, and Dad said if he was a civil engineer, and out of a job,
to tell him to drop in and see him, so I took him in and introduced him
and I guess they're still talking."

"Humph," grunted Hedin.

"You don't need to be so grumpy about it. Mr. Wentworth is awfully
nice, and all the girls are crazy about him."

"I don't think that gives you any call to rave much over him when it
was Fred Orcutt that brought him here, and he brought him for no other
purpose than to knife your father," replied Hedin dryly.

Jean laughed. "You take Dad too seriously. He really believes Mr.
Orcutt has it in for him, and he sees an ulterior motive in everything
he does in a business way. But, really, the Orcutts are all right.
There was some business deal, years and years ago, in which Dad fancied
Mr. Orcutt tried to get the best of him, and he has never forgotten it.
You see, Dad is the dearest thing that ever lived, but he is sort of
crusty, and it isn't everybody that knows how to take him. Why, Mr.
and Mrs. Orcutt are going to be at dinner this evening, and are going
to the theatre, too. They know it is my birthday party, so that
doesn't look as though they were such fierce enemies of the McNabbs,
does it?

"Let's get back to the subject of coats. This squirrel is beautiful,
but I believe I like the dark fur the better. I think I'll try that
marten again."

Hedin was thinking rapidly. He had known from the first that the
darker fur was the fur for her, yet he had refrained from making any
direct suggestion.

"Just a moment, please," he said. "Won't you button that coat once
more, I want to get an artificial light effect." As he spoke, he moved
toward the windows and drew the shades. Returning in the gloom, he
reached swiftly into the fur safe and withdrew the Russian sable coat
which he deftly deposited on top of the marten coat that lay with
several others upon a nearby table. As the gir