nd us word."

She went back to her duties, and Deringham smiled a little as the
monotonous voice commenced again. "That's all right, Miss Townshead.
Now where was I? Oh, yes, we should not recommend any further
advances. Did I tell him we had to negotiate Tyrer's bond at a
discount?"

"You seem to have reversed your decision somewhat suddenly," he said.
"I had not noticed it before, but Miss Townshead is distinctly pretty.
She was, I believe, on tolerably good terms with our afflicted kinsman."

Miss Deringham laughed as she answered him. "That is one of our
privileges, but you had better inquire about my baggage. I think I
hear the train coming in."

She turned a moment as she went out of the saloon, and glanced back
towards the table. She could only see that Miss Townshead's head was
bent lower over the paper than it had been, but she had a suspicion as
to what the girl was feeling. It was also partly, but not more than
partly justified, for Nellie Townshead was writing mechanically just
then, though now and then she drove the pencil somewhat viciously into
the paper when the hasty words grew faster. "Don't consider your
recommendation workable. We are sending you ore to test. Finish it up
in the usual way."

Then the locomotive bell on the wharf was answered by the roar of the
steamer's whistle, and the man folded up his papers. "You will have to
get ashore, but we have done a good morning's work," said he. "Those
were friends of yours from the old country?"

"No," said Nellie Townshead with a curious expression. "They are from
the old country, but I only met them once or twice at Somasco."

The man glanced at her thoughtfully. "Yes," he said. "I kind of
fancied the lady didn't mean to be nice to you."

Miss Townshead smiled, though there was an ominous brightness in her
eyes. "I scarcely think she would take the trouble to make me feel
that," she said. "Miss Deringham is, I understand, a lady of some
importance in the old country."

The man once more regarded her with grave kindliness. "Folks of that
kind can be very nasty prettily. I've met one or two of them. Well,
you're one of the smartest business ladies I've come across yet in this
country, and I should figure that's quite as good as the other.
Now--well, of course, we held back a little when we engaged you, and
you can tell the cashier to hand you out another two dollars every
Saturday."

Nellie Townshead felt that the colour