French roses set under the
velvet brim. It looked like it was made for me, but twelve and a half is
my limit and it's twenty-five dollars. Maybe you don't want to go that
high."

Banks untied the poke and poured the remaining gold pieces on the
show-case; then he found a pocket-book from which he took several crisp
bills. "There's three hundred," he said briefly, "and another ten for the
trunk. I want you to pick out a nice little one I can stow in the back of
a one-seated automobile. The hat and this pink dress go on top; and be
sure you get the outfit down to that four-ten train. Good-by," he put out
his hand, and a gleam of warmth touched his bleak face. "I'm glad I met
you."

"And so am I. Good-by." She stopped gathering up the money long enough to
give him her hand. "And good luck," she added.

The first saleswoman, again at leisure, approached and stood looking after
him as he hurried with his quick, uneven steps towards the elevator. "Of
all things!" she exclaimed. "He did buy that pink chiffon. Who'd ever have
thought he had the money or the taste. But I suppose he's one of those
lucky fellows who've struck it rich in Alaska."

The other young woman nodded. "His gold came out of one of those pokes,
and it's fresh from the mint. But I guess he's earned all he's got, every
cent. I'll bet he's starved and froze; suffered ways we don't know. And
he's spending it on a girl. I'd like to see her. Maybe she's the
cold-blooded kind that'll snub him and make fun of this chiffon."

She turned into the dressing-room, and it was then Banks stopped and
brought out the loose change in his pockets. There was a ten dollar piece,
to which he added two and a half in silver. He started back up the room,
but the girl had disappeared, and, while he stood hesitating, a
floor-walker approached.

"Have you forgotten something?" he asked politely.

"Yes," answered Banks, "I forgot to give this money to the young lady who
was waiting on me. She's likely gone to take off a pink dress I bought.
But she's the one with lots of black hair and pink cheeks and a real nice
smile; you couldn't miss her. And you might as well give her this; tell
her it's the other twelve and a half to make up the price of that hat; a
duplicate of the one we were talking about. She'll understand."

He called these final words over his shoulder, for the elevator had
stopped, and he hurried to catch it. Going down, he looked at his watch;
he had spent an hou