you and your companions are
not involved in that kind of thing, I am forced to remind you that
you'll be headed toward the station in just one minute."

"I hate you!" she said between her teeth.

He shook his head at her. "Oh, no, you don't!" he said kindly. "But I
see plainly that you're a self-willed young person. Association with me,
and the study of my poise, will do a lot for you. By the way, you have
only thirty seconds left."

"Do you want to be killed?"

She hissed the words at him.

"Good gracious, no!" Laurie spoke absently, his eyes on the watch.
"Twenty seconds," he ended.

"Do you want to be maimed or crippled, or--or kidnapped?"

He looked up in surprise.

"I don't know why you imagine I have such lurid tastes," he said,
discontentedly. "Of course I don't want any of those things. My nature
is a quiet one, and already I'm dreading the excitement of taking you to
the station. But now I must ask you to put on your gloves and button up
your coat for our little journey."

"The journey you make with me," she said, with deep meaning, "may be a
long and hard one."

He stood up.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he told her. "But we'll have to
postpone it. Our journey to the station comes first."

She sat still, looking at him.

"I know your type now," she said suddenly. "You live in your little
groove, and you think that nothing happens in the world except what you
see under your nose."

"Something awfully unpleasant is going to happen under my nose right
now," announced her companion, disconsolately. "Come along, please. It's
time to start."

She stood up, faced him for a second, and then dropped back into her
chair with a gesture of finality. Her expression had changed back to the
lethargy of her first moments in the restaurant.

"Very well," she said. "Have it your way." She added significantly,
"This may be the last time you have your way about anything!"

"You have a depressing outlook," grumbled Laurie, contentedly sitting
down again. "It isn't playing the game to spoil my triumph with such
predictions as that, especially as I'm going to have my way about a lot
of things right now. I have your word," he added.

"Yes."

"Good! Now I'll give you my program. First of all, I'm going to be a
brother to you; and I don't think," he ended thoughtfully, "that I've
ever offered to be a brother to any girl before."

"You're a nice boy," she said abruptly.

He smiled at her.

"A nice b