with fragrant beauty, and under the great trees and the warm,
sunset sky. And what a good world it seemed to be alive in, and what a
friendly village in which to find work and love and content. A dozen
returning householders, stopping at their gates, wanted the news of his
venture, a dozen freshly-clad, interested women, watering lawns in the
shade, called out to wish him good fortune. And always, before his
eyes, the thought of the vanished millions danced like a star. She was
not infinitely removed, she was not set apart by great fortune, she was
only the sweetest and best of women, to be wooed and won like any
other. He ran upstairs and flung open the door of the little bare new
office of the MAIL, like an impetuous boy. There was no one there. But
a wide white hat with a yellow rose pinned on it hung above the new oak
desk in the corner, and his heart rose at the sight. His own desk had
an improvised drop light hung over it; he lowered the typewriter from
his cramped arm upon a mass of clippings and notes. Beyond this room
was the great bare loft, where two or three oily men were still toiling
in the fading light over the establishing of the old STAR press. Sashes
had been taken from one of the big windows to admit the entrance of the
heavier parts; thick pulley ropes dangled at the sill. Great unopened
bundles of gray paper filled the center of the floor, a slim amused
youth was putting the finishing touches to a telephone on the wall, and
Sidney, bare-headed, very business-like and keenly interested, was
watching everybody and making suggestions. She greeted Barry with a
cheerful wave of the hand.

"There you are!" she said, relievedly. "Come and see what you think of
this. Do you know this office is going to be much nicer than the old
one? How goes everything with you?"

"Like lightning!" he answered. "At this rate, there's nothing to it at
all. Have the press boys showed up yet?"

"They are over at the hotel, getting their dinners," she explained.
"And we have borrowed lamps from the hotel to use here this evening.
Did you hear that Martin, of the Press, you know, has offered to send
over the A.P. news as fast as it comes in? Isn't that very decent of
him? Here's Miss Porter's stuff."

She sat down, and began to assort papers on her desk, quite absorbed in
what she was doing. Barry, at his own desk, opened and shut a drawer or
two noisily, but he was really watching her, with a thumping heart.
Watching the b