ow simply she was
dressed. He remembered her in her beautiful ball gown. He thought he
preferred this. How rapidly her fingers sped over the keys. And what
fingers! What a hand! He wanted to bend over and take it in his own.
Then he suddenly remembered what the Beaubien had once told him--that
she always seemed to be a better woman in this girl's presence.
But--what changes had come since then! Could he go on persecuting the
harassed woman? But he wouldn't, if--

"There!" said the girl, with what seemed to be a little sigh of
relief. She pressed a button, and handed the typewritten sheets to the
boy who responded. Then, turning to Ames:

"You've come to apologize, haven't you? But you needn't. I'm not a bit
offended. I couldn't be, you know."

Apologize! Well, he certainly had not had any such intention when he
came in. In fact, he knew not just why he was there.

"You see, Congressman Wales didn't vote for the unaltered schedule.
And so everything's all right, isn't it?" she went on lightly.

Ames's face darkened. "No vote has been taken," he said, a dull anger
rising within him.

"Oh, you are mistaken," replied the girl. "The bill was voted out of
committee an hour ago. That's what I was writing up. Here's the wire,
showing the alterations made. Mr. Wales voted for them."

Ames read the message, and handed it back. Beyond the clouding of his
features he gave no indication of his feelings.

"So, you see," continued the girl, "that incident is closed--for all
time, isn't it?"

He did not reply for some moments. Then:

"Rather odd, isn't it?" he commented, turning quite away from that
subject, and glancing about, "that one with the high ideals you
profess should be doing newspaper work."

"Just the contrary," she quickly returned. "There is nothing so
practical as the ideal, for the ideal is the only reality."

"Well, just what, may I ask, are you trying to do here?" he
continued.

"Run a newspaper on a basis of _practical_ Christianity," she
answered, her eyes dancing. "Just as all business will have to be
conducted some day."

He leaned back and laughed.

"It is funny, isn't it?" she said, "to the carnal mind."

The laughter abruptly ceased, and he looked keenly at her. But there
was no trace of malice in her fair face as she steadily returned the
look.

"Has it paid yet?" he asked in a bantering tone.

"Splendidly!" she exclaimed.

"H'm! Well, I'll wager you won't get a dollar back on your in