sixty dollars, do you suppose?"

"I will ask her," said Forrest, guardedly. He well knew how glad his
hard-working typewriter would be to have so permanent and pleasant a
station. He more than suspected that many men who came to the busy
office in the heart of the city were far from respectful. He remembered
how his blood boiled one afternoon when he found a bulky fellow, his
hat on the back of his head, his legs outstretched, and a vile cigar
tiptilted in his mouth, sitting leering beside her desk.

"You shouldn't permit it," he said to her, later.

"Ah, but I must not quarrel with my bread and butter," was her reply,
half mournful, half whimsical. "Not one man in ten thinks of taking off
his hat or dropping his cigar when he enters our 'shop.' No, Mr.
Forrest, we are wage-workers who can't afford to draw the line at the
manners of our customers."

"But--are there not some who--who become impertinent--familiar--if not
checked at the start?" he found himself constrained to ask, and the
flame that shot into her cheeks told him his suspicion was correct.

"Not often," she answered, presently, "and never more than once. We
simply try not to notice small impertinences, Miss Bonner and I, and
generally, you know, we are together here."

This was mid-April. The vacancy was to occur at the end of the month.
Forrest himself brought Miss Wallen to the library and presented her to
Mr. Wells. A gentleman was seated in the librarian's room at the
time,--an industrious fellow who had recently appeared, who spent some
hours turning over many books, and whom Wells described as a most
interesting and travelled man, a graduate of Jena, etc.; but at sight
of him Miss Wallen showed slight though unmistakable signs of
embarrassment, almost annoyance. He pretended to busy himself with his
books, but was evidently listening to what was going on, and Miss Wallen
was decidedly constrained. Presently he arose and came forward, saying,
with much suavity of manner, "You must pardon my intrusion. I could not
but catch something of this conversation, and had I known before that
Mr. Wells was contemplating a change here I should have eagerly availed
myself of the privilege our friendship gives to recommend this young
lady, of whose character and qualifications--we being inmates of the
same household--I can speak _ex cathedra_, as it were, and can hardly
speak too highly." He went on to say more, taking the floor, as was his
custom, to the exc