from time to time. He did not fail to note that,
after he began to make use of information she let drop as to her
whereabouts from day to day and her free companionship, he heard less
of Gardner Knowles, Lane Cross, and Forbes Gurney, and more of Georgia
Timberlake and Ethel Tuckerman. Why this sudden reticence? On one
occasion she did say of Forbes Gurney "that he was having such a hard
time, and that his clothes weren't as nice as they should be, poor
dear!" Stephanie herself, owing to gifts made to her by Cowperwood, was
resplendent these days. She took just enough to complete her wardrobe
according to her taste.

"Why not send him to me?" Cowperwood asked. "I might find something to
do for him." He would have been perfectly willing to put him in some
position where he could keep track of his time. However, Mr. Gurney
never sought him for a position, and Stephanie ceased to speak of his
poverty. A gift of two hundred dollars, which Cowperwood made her in
June, was followed by an accidental meeting with her and Gurney in
Washington Street. Mr. Gurney, pale and pleasant, was very well
dressed indeed. He wore a pin which Cowperwood knew had once belonged
to Stephanie. She was in no way confused. Finally Stephanie let it
out that Lane Cross, who had gone to New Hampshire for the summer, had
left his studio in her charge. Cowperwood decided to have this studio
watched.

There was in Cowperwood's employ at this time a young newspaper man, an
ambitious spark aged twenty-six, by the name of Francis Kennedy. He
had written a very intelligent article for the Sunday Inquirer,
describing Cowperwood and his plans, and pointing out what a remarkable
man he was. This pleased Cowperwood. When Kennedy called one day,
announcing smartly that he was anxious to get out of reportorial work,
and inquiring whether he couldn't find something to do in the
street-railway world, Cowperwood saw in him a possibly useful tool.

"I'll try you out as secretary for a while," he said, pleasantly.
"There are a few special things I want done. If you succeed in those,
I may find something else for you later."

Kennedy had been working for him only a little while when he said to
him one day: "Francis, did you ever hear of a young man by the name of
Forbes Gurney in the newspaper world?"

They were in Cowperwood's private office.

"No, sir," replied Francis, briskly.

"You have heard of an organization called the Garrick Players, ha