ckly and placed his smooth hand on his friend's.

"I won't take that answer now. Think it over. I'll see you again."

He turned and left the room before Stuart could reply.

The lawyer drew a photograph from his desk and looked at it, smiling
tenderly.

"I wonder, Nan! I wonder!"

The smile slowly faded, and a frown clouded his brow. The lines of his
mouth suddenly tightened.

"I'll settle it to-day," he said with decision, as he rose, took his
hat and left for Gramercy Park.

CHAPTER V

AN ISSUE IS FORCED

It was noon when Stuart reached the Primrose house and Nan was again
out. He received the announcement from her mother with a feeling of
rage he could ill conceal.

"Where is she? I seem never to be able to find her at home."

"Now, don't be absurd, Jim. You know she would have broken any
engagement to see you, had she known you were going to call to-day. She
has only gone to the dressmaker's."

"How long will she be there?"

"Until four."

"Four hours at a dressmaker's----"

"And then she's going to the hair dressser's."

"And then?"

"She has an engagement for tea. I don't expect her home until seven.
I'm awfully sorry."

"Of course, I understand, Mrs. Primrose," Stuart said with a light
laugh, "I should have told her--but I didn't know until a few moments
ago that I was coming."

"Nothing serious has happened, I hope?" she asked, with carefully
modulated sympathy which said plainly that she hoped for the worst.

"No. Just say that I'll call after dinner."

"All right, Jim, dear," the mother purred. "I'll see that she's here if
I have to lock the door."

Stuart smiled in spite of himself as he passed out murmuring:

"Thank you."

It was useless to try to work. His mind was in a tumult of passionate
protest. He must have this thing out with Nan once for all. Their
engagement must be announced immediately.

He went to the Players' Club and lunched alone in brooding silence. He
tried to read and couldn't. He strolled out aimlessly and began to
ramble without purpose. Somehow to-day everything on which his eye
rested and every sound that struck his ear proclaimed the advent of the
new power of which Bivens was the symbol--Bivens with his delicate,
careful little hand, his bulging forehead, his dark keen eyes! An ice
wagon dashed by. It belonged to the ice trust. A big coal cart blocked
the sidewalk. The coal trust was one of the first. The street crossing
at Broadway and Twent