epartment of Charities."

He looked astonished; she had no idea his face could take on so much
expression.

"You! _You_! Why, how on earth did you get such a position?"

"Pull," said Sharlee.

Their eyes met, and she laughed him down.

"Who is the real Secretary to whom you are assistant?"

"The nicest man in the world. Mr. Dayne--Rev. George Dayne."

"A parson! Does he know anything about his subject? Is he an expert?--a
trained relief worker? Does he know Willoughby? And Smathers? And
Conant?"

"Knows them by heart. Quotes pages of them at a time in his letters
without ever glancing at the books."

"And you?"

"I may claim some familiarity with their theories."

He fussed with his pencil. "I recall defining sociology for you one
night at my boarding-house...."

"I remember."

"Well," said he, determined to find something wrong, "those men whom I
mentioned to you are not so good as they think, particularly Smathers. I
may as well tell you that I shall show Smathers up completely in my
book."

"We shall examine your arguments with care and attention. We leave no
stone unturned to keep abreast of the best modern thought."

"It is extraordinary that such a position should be held by a girl like
you, who can have no scientific knowledge of the many complex
problems.... However," he said, a ray of brightness lightening his
displeasure, "your State is notoriously backward in this field. Your
department, I fancy, can hardly be more than rudimentary."

"It will be much, much more than that in another year or two. Why, we're
only four years old!"

"So this is why you are interested in having editorials written about
reformatories. It is a reformatory for women that you wish to
establish?"

"How did you know?"

"I merely argue from the fact that your State is so often held up to
reproach for lack of one. What is the plan?"

"We are asking," said the Assistant Secretary, "for a hundred thousand
dollars--sixty thousand to buy the land and build, forty thousand for
equipment and two years' support. Modest enough, is it not? Of course we
shall not get a penny from the present legislature. Legislatures love to
say no; it dearly flatters their little vanity. We are giving them the
chance to say no now. Then when they meet again, two years from now, we
trust that they will be ready to give us what we ask--part of it, at any
rate. We can make a start with seventy-five thousand dollars."

Queed was moved to m