think you might," agreed Richard, looking about him once more
at the faces which surrounded him. He caught Roberta's eye, as he did
so--much to his satisfaction--and she gave him a straightforward, steady
look, as if she were taking his measure for the first time. Then, quite
suddenly, she smiled at him and turned away to speak to Ted, who sat by
her side.

Richard continued to watch, and saw that immediately Ted looked his way
and also smiled. He wanted so much to know what this meant, that, as
soon as dinner was over and they were all leaving the room, he fell in
with the boy and, putting his hand through Ted's arm, whispered with
artful intent: "Was my tie under my left ear?"

Ted stared up at him. "Your tie's all right, Mr. Kendrick."

"Then it wasn't that. Perhaps my coat collar was turned up?"

"Why, no," the boy laughed. "You look as right as anything. What made
you think--"

"I saw you and your sister laughing at me and it worried me. I thought I
must be looking the guy some way."

Ted considered. "Oh, no!" he said. "She asked me if I thought you were
enjoying the dinner as well as you would have liked the corn-popping."

"And what did you decide?"

"I said I couldn't tell, because I never saw you at a corn-popping. I
asked her that day we went to walk why she wouldn't ask you to it, but
she just said you were too busy to come. I didn't think you acted too
busy to come," he said naively, glancing up into Richard's down-bent
face.

"Didn't I? Haven't I looked very busy whenever you have seen me in your
uncle's library?"

Ted shook his head. "I don't think you have--not the way Louis looks
busy in father's office, nor the way father does."

Richard laughed, but somehow the frank comment stung him a little, as he
would not have imagined the comment of an eleven-year-old boy could have
done. "See here, Ted," he urged, "tell me why you say that. I think
myself I've done a lot of work since I've been here, and I can't see why
I haven't looked it."

But Ted shook his head. "I don't think it would be polite to tell you,"
he said, which naturally did not help matters much.

Still holding the lad's arm, Richard walked over to Roberta, who had
gone to the piano and was arranging some sheets of music there.

"Miss Gray," he said, "have you accomplished a great deal to-day?"

She looked up, puzzled. "A great deal of what?" she asked.

"Work--endeavour--strenuous endeavour."

"The usual amount. Lessons--a