d the corner, and
drew up before the door of Mrs. Anderson's boarding-house. A tall, dark,
good-looking chap, whose erect figure was completely enveloped in a
fur-lined overcoat, emerged, and walked briskly up the steps. Lizzie
answered the bell, and started back in surprise when the stranger calmly
stepped inside, closed the door, slipped her a dollar bill, and said
quietly:

"Take this card to Miss Farnum. She is expecting me."

"Yes, sir," stammered Lizzie. "Will you wait in the parlor, sir?"

"So this is where she lives?" mused the visitor, shaking his head as he
looked around the neat but poorly furnished room, with its supply of
theatrical photographs and the large picture of Arnold Lawrence, leading
man, on the piano. "I'll soon get her out of this miserable hole."

Martha Farnum entered, her step so light that he did not hear her until
she touched his arm and extended her hand in greeting. "Mr. Gordon!"

"I received your message," cried Sanford, turning quickly and clasping
her hand with such fervor that Martha unconsciously sought to withdraw
it. "I'm glad you remember me."

"I remembered the name," explained Martha. "You are a man so much talked
about that it is not strange a little country girl should remember the
time she first met so celebrated a personage. But when you sent me the
note to-night, I realized for the first time that it was you who had
been sending me so many presents."

"Only a few trifles--"

"And so I wanted to see you."

"That was kind of you," replied Gordon, as they sat on the sofa. "I have
been wanting to see you all these weeks, but somehow I didn't know how
to begin. Finally, to-night, I decided to write you a little message and
see if you remembered me."

Martha turned toward him frankly.

"I want to know the meaning of your remarkable presents," she said, with
the utmost ingenuousness.

Gordon laughed a trifle, as though to dismiss the matter.

"Nonsense," he declared. "They weren't so very remarkable. A few
presents and a little pin-money which I thought might come in handy for
a girl getting a small income."

"Such presents would be appreciated by some girls," replied Martha,
offering him a small packet which she had held in her hand, "but I have
no right to take them."

"Then you haven't spent anything?" exclaimed Gordon, in surprise,
looking at the roll of yellow-backed bills and the half-dozen trinkets
which she returned to him.

"Not a dollar. I would have