the young man was impressive. It is only in the profile that we get a
chance to measure the will or propelling force behind a character. In
each of the two main curves of Dorn's head--that from the top of the
brow downward over the nose, the lips, the chin and under, and that
from the back of the head round under the ear and forward along the
lower jaw--in each of these curves Dorn excelled.

She was about to draw back and make a formal entry, when he said,
without looking toward her:

"Well--don't you think it would be safe to draw near?"

The tone was so easy and natural and so sympathetic--the tone of Selma
Gordon--the tone of all natural persons not disturbed about themselves
or about others--that Jane felt no embarrassment whatever. "I've heard
you were very clever," said she, advancing. "So, I wanted to have the
advantage of knowing you a little better at the outset than you would
know me."

"But Selma Gordon has told me all about you," said he--he had risen as
she advanced and was shaking hands with her as if they were old
friends. "Besides, I saw you the other day--in spite of your effort to
prevent yourself from being seen."

"What do you mean?" she asked, completely mystified.

"I mean your clothes," explained he. "They were unusual for this part
of the world. And when anyone wears unusual clothes, they act as a
disguise. Everyone neglects the person to center on the clothes."

"I wore them to be comfortable," protested Jane, wondering why she was
not angry at this young man whose manner ought to be regarded as
presuming and whose speech ought to be rebuked as impertinent.

"Altogether?" said Dorn, his intensely blue eyes dancing.

In spite of herself she smiled. "No--not altogether," she admitted.

"Well, it may please you to learn that you scored tremendously as far
as one person is concerned. My small nephew talks of you all the
time--the 'lady in the lovely pants.'"

Jane colored deeply and angrily. She bent upon Victor a glance that
ought to have put him in his place--well down in his place.

But he continued to look at her with unchanged, laughing, friendly blue
eyes, and went on: "By the way, his mother asked me to apologize for
HIS extraordinary appearance. I suppose neither of you would recognize
the other in any dress but the one each had on that day. He doesn't
always dress that way. His mother has been ill. He wore out his
play-clothes. If you've had experience of ch