rtively about her. A policeman strolled past, striking
terror to a guilty heart; a gentleman of evidently unbroken leisure
regarded her with a benevolent eye completely ringed by red. Crowds were
surging in and out of the newspaper offices and the Municipal Building
and the post office, but stare where she would, she couldn't find Pete.

She had ten minutes to think of horrors before she saw him rushing across
the park toward her, and she had the idea of saying to him those words
which he himself had selected as typically wifely, "Not that I mind at
all, but I was afraid I must have misunderstood you." But she did not get
very far in her mild little joke, for it was evident at once that
something had happened.

"My dear love," he said, "it's no go. We can't sail, we can't be married.
I think I'm out of a job."

As they stood there, her pretty clothes, the bright sun shining on her
golden hair and dark furs and polished shoes, her beauty, but, above all,
their complete absorption in each other, made them conspicuous. They were
utterly oblivious.

Pete told her exactly what had happened. Some months before he had been
sent to make a report on a coal property in Pennsylvania. He had made it
under the assumption that the firm was thinking of underwriting its
bonds. He had been mistaken. As owners Honaton & Benson had already
acquired the majority of interest in it. His report,--she remembered his
report, for he had told her about it the first day he came to see
her,--had been favorable except for one important fact. There was in that
district a car shortage which for at least a year would hamper the
marketing of the supply. That had been the point of the whole thing. He
had advised against taking the property over until this defect could be
remedied or allowed for. They had accepted the report.

Well, late in the afternoon of the preceding day he had gone to the
office to say good-by to the firm. He could not help being touched by the
friendliness of both men's manner. Honaton gave him a silver
traveling-flask, plain except for an offensive cat's-eye set in the top.
Benson, more humane and practical, gave him a check.

"I think I've cleared up everything before I leave," Wayne said, trying
to be conscientious in return for their kindness, "except one thing.
I've never corrected the proof of my report on the Southerland coal
property."

For a second there was something strange in the air. The partners
exchanged the m