of her head. They listened, and heard
Joe's key in the door. In a moment he had entered the hall.

"Hello. Who's here?" he asked at once.

"It's I," said his partner, quietly, going out to meet him. And sitting
there rigid, she heard him continue in gruff low tones, "Something I'd
forgotten--a point in those Taggert specifications. I want to clear it
up tonight."

CHAPTER XVII

What impression had she made? How far had she overcome the heavy weight
of dislike and suspicion Amy had rolled up in his mind? As Ethel's
thoughts went rapidly back over the things Nourse had told her, again
and again with excitement she felt what a help he could be if he would.
Here lay the gate to her husband's youth.

"If only he'll believe in me! Shall I send for him? No," she decided.
"If there's any hope, he'll come again."

She waited three days. Then he telephoned, "Can I see you today at four
o'clock?" She answered, "Yes, I'll be very glad." And she felt a little
faint with relief as she hung up the receiver.

When he came in, that afternoon, one glance at him made her exclaim to
herself, "He half believes! He's puzzled!"

"Well, Mrs. Lanier," he began at once, with more friendliness now in
his heavy voice, "if I've made any mistake about you, I'm sorry. But
you must show me first. If you're real about this, you look to me like
a woman who would have thought it all out in the last few days and
formed a plan. What is it?"

His abruptness rather took her breath for a moment. Then she said,
"Yes, I have a plan, but so have you. What is it?" At her quick retort
she saw a smile of grim relish come over his large features.

"My plan is simple," he replied. "Leave Joe to me. Keep him quiet at
night so he can work, and I'll show you another husband." She shook her
head.

"He'd only make more money."

"Tell him you don't want it, then!" She smiled at him.

"Too simple," she said. He looked at her.

"I thought it would be too simple for a woman," was his answer.

"It's worse than that," she replied. "It's blind. You've never been
married--apparently--not even to one woman--while Joe, you see, has been
married twice. To you a man's life is all in his office--but half of
Joe's is in his home--and you'll have to change that half of him, too.
I told you her friends are about--and they have her memory on their
side--and so I can't get rid of them until I get some friends of my
own."

"Then get them."

"How? Go out on any str