ught
Archie's in a glance of recognition, and he smiled feebly, endeavouring
to register bonhomie and good-will. He was surprised to see a startled
expression come into her brown eyes. Her face turned pink. At least, it
was pink already, but it turned pinker. The next moment, the car having
stopped to pick up more passengers, she jumped off and started to hurry
across the street.

Archie was momentarily taken aback. When embarking on this business
he had never intended it to become a blend of otter-hunting and a
moving-picture chase. He followed her off the car with a sense that his
grip on the affair was slipping. Preoccupied with these thoughts, he
did not perceive that the long young man who had shared his strap had
alighted too. His eyes were fixed on the vanishing figure of the Girl
Friend, who, having buzzed at a smart pace into Sixth Avenue, was now
legging it in the direction of the staircase leading to one of the
stations of the Elevated Railroad. Dashing up the stairs after her,
he shortly afterwards found himself suspended as before from a strap,
gazing upon the now familiar flowers on top of her hat. From another
strap farther down the carriage swayed the long young man in the grey
suit.

The train rattled on. Once or twice, when it stopped, the girl seemed
undecided whether to leave or remain. She half rose, then sank back
again. Finally she walked resolutely out of the car, and Archie,
following, found himself in a part of New York strange to him. The
inhabitants of this district appeared to eke out a precarious existence,
not by taking in one another's washing, but by selling one another
second-hand clothes.

Archie glanced at his watch. He had lunched early, but so crowded with
emotions had been the period following lunch that he was surprised to
find that the hour was only just two. The discovery was a pleasant one.
With a full hour before the scheduled start of the game, much might be
achieved. He hurried after the girl, and came up with her just as she
turned the corner into one of those forlorn New York side-streets which
are populated chiefly by children, cats, desultory loafers, and empty
meat-tins.

The girl stopped and turned. Archie smiled a winning smile.

"I say, my dear sweet creature!" he said. "I say, my dear old thing, one
moment!"

"Is that so?" said the Girl Friend.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Is that so?"

Archie began to feel certain tremors. Her eyes were gleaming, and her
d