ne. "I see your difficulty," she went on. "But,
fortunately, it has a name of its own. It is called the Tillicum.'"

"As such I salute it!" said Spence, gravely.

The other made no attempt to continue the conversation. She retired
into the fastness of the green cloak, leaving the professor to ponder
the situation. It seemed on the face of it an absurd situation enough,
yet there should certainly be nothing absurd in it. Spence felt a
somewhat bulky package of letters even now in the pocket of his coat.
These letters were real and sensible enough. They comprised his
correspondence with one Dr. Herbert Farr, Vancouver, B. C. As letters
they were quite charming. The earlier ones had dealt with the
professor's pet subject, primitive psychology. The later ones had been
more personal. Spence found himself remembering such phrases as "my
humble but picturesque home," "my Chinese servant, a factotum
extraordinary," "my young daughter who attends to all my simple wants"
and "my secretary on whose efficient aid I more and more depend--"

"I suppose there is a secretary?" he asked suddenly.

"Oh yes," answered the green cloak, "I'm it."

"And, 'a young daughter who attends'--"

"--'to all my simple wants?' That's me, too."

"But you can't be 'my Chinese servant, a factotum extraordinary?'"

"No, you have already met Li Ho."

"There?" queried the professor, gesturing weakly.

"Yes."

Spence pulled himself together. "There must be a home, though," he
asserted firmly, "'Humble but picturesque'--"

"Well," admitted the voice from the green cloak, "it is rather
picturesque. And it is certainly humble."

Suddenly she laughed. It was a very young laugh. The professor felt
relieved. She was a girl, then, not a woman.

"Isn't father too' amusing?" she asked pleasantly.

"Quite too much so," agreed the professor. He was very cold. "I beg
your pardon," he added stiffly, remembering his manners.

"Oh, I don't mind!" The girl assured him. "Father is a dreadful old
fraud. I have no illusions. But perhaps it isn't so bad after all. He
really is quite an authority on the West Coast Indians,--if that is
what you wish to consult him about."

Professor Spence was in a quandary. But perfect frankness seemed
indicated.

"I didn't come to consult him about anything," he said slowly. "I am a
psychologist. I wish to do my own observing, at first hand. I came not
to question Dr. Farr, but to board with him."

"BOARD WITH HIM!"

I