nd useful like this. But Dick cannot do it
alone; he's too unsettled, and too inexperienced to cope with some of
the sharper business practices."

She paused again, still regarding him with those keen eyes, which seemed
to be weighing him. Finally she said, almost abruptly:

"Will you take charge of this with Dick? He likes you and respects
your judgment; I'm sure you'd help steady him down. Of course you lack
practical experience, but you can take in a practical man who will
supply this element. Practical experience is one of the commonest
articles on the market; vision and initiative are among the rarest--and
you have them. What do you say?"

Larry could not say anything at once. The suddenness of her offer, the
largeness of his opportunity, bewildered him for the moment. And his
bewilderment was added to by his swift realization of quite another
element involved in her frank proposition. He was now engaged in the
enterprise of foisting a bogus article, Maggie, upon this woman who was
offering him her complete confidence--an enterprise of most questionable
ethics and very dubious issue. If he accepted her offer, and the result
of this enterprise were disaster, what would Miss Sherwood then think of
him?

He took refuge in evasion. "I'm not going to try to tell you how much
I appreciate your proposition, Miss Sherwood. But do you mind if I hold
back my answer for the present and think it over? Anyhow, to do all
that is required I must be able to work in the open--and I can't do
that until I get free of my entanglements with the police and my old
acquaintances."

Thus it was agreed upon. Miss Sherwood turned to another subject. The
pre-public show of Hunt's pictures had opened the previous day.

"When you were in the city yesterday, did you get in to see Mr. Hunt's
exhibition?"

"No," he answered. "Although I wanted to. But you know I've already seen
all of Mr. Hunt's pictures that Mr. Graham has in his gallery. How was
the opening?"

"Crowded with guests. And since they had been told that the pictures
were unusual and good, of course the people were enthusiastic."

"What kind of prices was Mr. Graham quoting?"

"He wasn't quoting any. He told me he wasn't going to sell a picture,
or even mention a price, until the public exhibition. He's very
enthusiastic. He thinks Mr. Hunt is already made--and in a big way."

And then she added, her level gaze very steady on Larry:

"Of course Mr. Hunt is really a grea