laintive tone in his voice as he
answered.

"Thanks, no. I've rather lost my interest now. Lack of appreciation
always did discourage me. We'll talk of something else, please. You
enjoyed your trip?"

"Very much. It just couldn't have been nicer!"

"You were lucky. The heat here has been something fierce!"

"What made you stay?"

"Reasons too numerous, and one too heart-breaking, to mention. Besides,
you forget," with dignity. "There is my profession. I have joined the
workers of the world now, you know."

"Oh, fudge, Hugh!" laughed Billy. "You know very well you're as likely
as not to start for the ends of the earth to-morrow morning!"

Hugh drew himself up.

"I don't seem to succeed in making people understand that I'm serious,"
he began aggrievedly. "I--" With an expressive flourish of his hands he
relaxed suddenly, and fell back in his chair. A slow smile came to
his lips. "Well, Billy, I'll give up. You've hit it," he confessed. "I
_have_ thought seriously of starting to-morrow morning for _half-way_ to
the ends of the earth--Panama."

"Hugh!"

"Well, I have. Even this call was to be a good-by--if I went."

"Oh, Hugh! But I really thought--in spite of my teasing--that you had
settled down, this time."

"Yes, so did I," sighed the man, a little soberly. "But I guess it's
no use, Billy. Oh, I'm coming back, of course, and link arms again with
their worthy Highnesses, John Doe and Richard Roe; but just now I've got
a restless fit on me. I want to see the wheels go 'round. Of course, if
I had my bread and butter and cigars to earn, 'twould be different. But
I haven't, and I know I haven't; and I suspect that's where the trouble
lies. If it wasn't for those natal silver spoons of mine that Bertram
is always talking about, things might be different. But the spoons are
there, and always have been; and I know they're all ready to dish out
mountains to climb and lakes to paddle in, any time I've a mind to say
the word. So--I just say the word. That's all."

"And you've said it now?"

"Yes, I think so; for a while."

"And--those reasons that _have_ kept you here all summer," ventured
Billy, "they aren't in--er--commission any longer?"

"No."

Billy hesitated, regarding her companion meditatively. Then, with the
feeling that she had followed a blind alley to its termination, she
retreated and made a fresh start.

"Well, you haven't yet told me everything about everybody, you know,"
she hinted smilingl