lost its alluring
softness. "You may as well tell me. Mr. Raymer had borrowed money at
poppa's bank. What was the matter? Did he have to pay it back--all at
once?"

There seemed to be no further opening for evasion. "Yes; I think that
was the way of it," he answered.

Arguing wholly from the newly made discovery, or postulated discovery,
of Raymer's state and standing as an object of Miss Grierson's
solicitude, Griswold expected something in the nature of an outburst.
What he got was a transfixing glance of the passionate sort, quick with
open-eyed admiration.

"And you just tossed your money into the breach as if you had millions
of it, and by now you've almost forgotten that you did it!" she
exclaimed. "Kenneth, dear, there are times when you are so heavenly good
that I can hardly believe it. Are there any more men like you over on
your side of the world?"

At another time he might have smiled at the boyish frankness of the
question. But it was a better motive than the analyst's that prompted
his answer.

"Plenty of them, Margery, girl; too many for the good of the race. You
mustn't try to make a hero out of me. Once in a while I get a glimpse of
the real Kenneth Griswold--you are giving me one just now--and it's
sickening. For a moment I was meanly jealous; jealous of Raymer. It was
only the writing part of me, I hope, but----"

He stopped because she had suddenly turned her back on him and was
looking out over the lake again. When she spoke, she went back to the
business affair.

"When you invest money you ought to look after it," she said
magisterially. "You are a Socialist, aren't you? How do you know that
your money isn't being used to oppress somebody?"

"Oh, I do know that much," was the investor's protest. "Raymer is a good
boss--too good for the crowd he is trying to brother, I'm afraid."

"What makes you say that?"

"A word or two that he has dropped, now and then. When he branched out,
he had to increase his force accordingly. Some of the new men seem
inclined to make trouble."

Again she fell silent, and he saw the brooding look come into the dark
eyes. It was evident that something he had said had started a train of
thought--and the thoughts were not altogether pleasant ones. Analyzing
again, he fancied he could picture the inward struggle to break away
from the unpleasantnesses, and he shook hands enthusiastically with his
own gift of insight when she looked up suddenly and said: "See! th