and
yesterday he told me that he thought I deserved a reward and as he
might be called away again the same way, he didn't think it was fair
to put so much more upon me without paying me for it."

"Isn't he lovely!" exclaimed Isabella. "As Delia says about Mrs.
Fenlow's chauffeur, 'he's sure very gentlemanly and strong!'"

"Indeed, you've been most fortunate in getting so good a position,
Harry, dear!" said Mrs. Marne, her voice trembling with her depth
of feeling. "I fairly ached with anxiety over your going into this
secretarial work, but Mr. Brand has proved to be all that even his
secretary's mother could expect or wish."

"And here he is, right now!" cried Isabella as she glanced from the
window at the sound of an automobile in the quiet street. "And if he
isn't going to honor our humble but happy home with a call from his
very handsome self!" she went on excitedly as the machine slowed down
and its occupant, glancing at the house numbers, stopped in front of
their cottage.

He told Henrietta that he had just learned it might be necessary
for him to leave town that day and that he wanted to give her some
instructions for her guidance if he should be away more than a day or
two. His manner was disturbed and restless, although not lacking in
its usual suave and gentle courtesy, and she noted in his face, more
strongly marked than she had seen it before, that troubled, anxious
look concerning which she had already wondered much. And from the
whole man there seemed to her to emanate an unconscious appeal, as of
one in such sore and badgering straits that he knew not where to turn
for help.

"I may be able," he said, "to--put off this trip, to make some
arrangement about--this matter, so that it will not be necessary for
me to go. I hope so--I don't want to leave the office just now. And,
by the way, if I do go, there's another thing. If there should be a
letter in my general mail--not marked 'personal,' you know--" he
hesitated, and Henrietta observed that he turned his eyes away and did
not meet her gaze as he went on, "but not of the regular business
sort, just glance at the signature first thing, won't you, please? And
if it should be signed 'Hugh Gordon,' don't read it, but lay it aside
for me to look at when I return."

He straightened up and she could feel the effort of will with which he
conquered his perturbation and continued in a more offhand way:
"Gordon is apt to write confidential things about his o