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"But how strange!" the girl exclai without anything?"

"I aranted that your brother has got mixed up in some undesirable business or other He is nervously anxious to keep his whereabouts an entire secret He has been asking me whether any one has been to the office to inquire for hi we can do is to hu a cheap dressing-case and a ready-e Then I shall send a cab for you both at seven o'clock and meet you at the station

"You are very kind," she murmured "What should I have done without you? Oh, I cannot think!"

The protective instinct in theNaturally unaffectionate, he was conscious of an al desire to take her hands in his, even to lift her up and kiss away the tears which shone in her deep, childlike eyes He reer, that her appearance of youth was a delusion, that she could only construe such an action as a liberty, an impertinence, offered under circumstances for which there could be no possible excuse

He lad to be of use to your brother You see," he explained, a little aardly, "after all, we have been partners in business"

He caught a look upon her face and sreat pleasure forto relieve your anxiety"

She gave hiratitude which shone out of her swi which was almost invitation Laverick was suddenly swept off his feet So absurd, uncounted upon, incomprehensible The atmosphere of the room seemed electrified In a moment, he had done what only a second or two before he had told himself would be the action of a cad He had taken her, unresisting, up into his arms, kissed her eyes and lips Afterwards, he was never able to remember those few moments clearly, only it seemed to him that she had accepted his caress almost without hesitation, with the effortless serenity of a child receiving a natural consolation in a tis as he leaned hard back in the corner of his taxicab and was driven swiftly away