ark, and it's good fun to watch the kiddies getting an
airing."

There was a note in her voice that made him turn his head toward her.
The color sprang to her cheeks.

"It's time I was getting back," she announced as she rose. "This is
Mr. Seagraves's busy day."

"But look here; I haven't finished my eclair!"

"Then you'd better devote the next five minutes to that," she
advised.

She disappeared through the door, and in another second was blended
with a thousand others.

Don drew out his memorandum book and made the following entry:--

"Visit Central Park some day and watch the kiddies."

CHAPTER XVII

ON THE WAY HOME

Frances wrote him enthusiastically from London. In her big, sprawling
handwriting the letter covered eight pages. Toward the end she
added:--

I miss you quite a lot, Don, dear, especially on foggy days. Please
don't work too hard, and remember that I am, as always,

Your FRANCES.

Well, that was something to know--that she was always his, even in
London. London was a long way from New York, and of course he could
not expect her to go abroad and then spend all her time writing to
him. He went up to the club after reading this, and wrote her a letter
twenty pages long. It was a very sentimental letter, but it did him
good. The next day he returned to the office decidedly refreshed. In
fact, he put in one of the best weeks there since he had taken his
position. When Saturday came he was sorry that it was a half-holiday:
he would have liked to work even through Sunday.

He left the office that day at a little before twelve, and stood on
the corner waiting for Miss Winthrop. They had lunched together every
day during the week; but he had not mentioned meeting her to-day,
because he had come to the conclusion that the only successful way to
do that was to capture her. So she came out quite jauntily and
confidently, and almost ran into him as he raised his hat.

She glanced about uneasily.

"Please--we mustn't stand here."

"Then I'll walk a little way with you."

So he accompanied her to the Elevated station, and then up the steps,
and as near as she could judge purposed entering the train with her.
He revealed no urgent business. He merely talked at random, as he had
at lunch.

She allowed two trains to pass, and then said:--

"I must go home now."

"It seems to me you are always on the point of going home," he
complained. "What do you do after you get there?"

"