ling eyes, the same
rosebud mouth. Any one might have made such a mistake. It was very
embarrassing.

"Why are you following me?" she demanded.

"I thought I knew you. I am sorry. I'll go at once."

"No! Wait." Her volte relented. It was a fresh young voice, not
indeed unlike that of Miss Lorimer's. She was smiling. "Why are you
dressed as a Jap?"

"I am sorry," Peter faltered, retreating. "Mistake. You're not the
girl I--I expected. _Sayonara_!"

"_Please_ don't run away," said the girl with a soft laugh. "I'm not
afraid, or I would have run, instead of waiting, when you followed me.
I've just come up from Amoy--alone. And I leave to-morrow for
Ching-Fu--alone. You're American!" she murmured. "But why the
Jap--disguise? I'm American, too. I used to live in New York, on
Riverside Drive. Oh! It must have been ages ago!"

"Why?" asked Peter unguardedly.

"I haven't met one of my countrymen in centuries! And to-morrow I go
up the river, 'way beyond Ching-Fu, beyond Szechwan!"

"Bad travelling on the river this time of the year," Peter murmured
politely. "She's out of her banks up above Ichang, I have been told."

"Yes," replied the girl sadly. "If I could only have just one evening
of fun--a dance or two, maybe--I--I--wouldn't mind half so much.
I--I----"

Peter advised himself as follows: I told you so. Aloud he said:

"I believe there's a dance at the Astor Hotel. If we can get a
table----"

"Oh, how lovely!" exclaimed the girl. "Do--do you mind very--much?"

"Tickled to death," Peter declared amiably.

CHAPTER X

At a small round table in the end of the room over which hung the
orchestra balcony, Peter found himself in the presence of two disarming
gray eyes, which drank in every detail of his good-looking young face,
including the penciled eyebrows.

Miss Vost--Miss Amy Vost--gave him to understand that she was really
grateful for his hospitality, rushed on to assure him that it was not
customary for her to meet strange young men as she had met him, and
then frankly asked him what he was doing in China. Every time she
thought of him her curiosity seemed to trip over the Japanese kimono.

Influenced by his third glass of Japanese champagne, he almost told her
the truth. He modified it by saying that he was a wireless operator;
that he had missed his ship, and that his plans were to linger in China
for a while. He liked China. Liked China very much.

Miss Vost c