have a right to expect,
and find that it isn't there; that it has never been there; that it
isn't anywhere. You have hurt me, and you have hurt yourself; but there
is still a chance for you. When I am gone, go to the telephone and call
Broffin at the Winnebago House. You can tell him that he will find me at
my rooms. Good-by."

He was half-way to the foot of Lakeview Avenue, striding along moodily
with his head down and his hands behind him, when he collided violently
with Raymer going in the opposite direction. The shock was so unexpected
that Griswold would have been knocked down if the muscular young
iron-founder had not caught him promptly. At the saving instant came
mutual recognition.

"Hello, there!" said Raymer. "You are the very man I've been looking
for. Charlotte wants to see you."

"Not now she doesn't," was the rather grim contradiction. "I have just
left her."

"Oh."

There was a pause, and then Griswold cut in morosely.

"So you did take my way out of the labor trouble, after all, didn't
you?"

Raymer looked away.

"I don't know just how you'd like to have me answer that, Kenneth. How
much or how little do you know of what happened?"

"Nothing at all"--shortly.

"Well, it was Margery who wrought the miracle, of course. I don't know,
yet, just how she did it; but it was done, and done right."

"And you have asked her to marry you?"

"Suffering Scott! how you do come at a man! Yes, I asked her, if you've
got to know."

"Well?" snapped Griswold.

"She--she turned me down, Kenneth; got up and walked all over me. That's
a horrible thing to make me say, but it's the truth."

"I don't understand it, Raymer. Was it the No that means No?"

"I don't understand it either," returned the iron-founder, with grave
naivete. "And, yes, I guess she meant it. But that reminds me. She knew
I was looking for you and she gave me a note--let me see, I've got it
here somewhere; oh, yes, here it is--gilt monogram and all."

Griswold took the note and pocketed it without comment and without
looking at it.

"Were you going to Doctor Bertie's?" he asked.

"I was. Have you any objection?"

"Not the least in the world. It's a good place for you to go just now,
and I guess you are the right man for the place. Good-night."

At the next corner where there was an electric light, Griswold stopped
and opened the monogrammed envelope. The enclosure was a single sheet of
perfumed note-paper upon which, without dat