throw myself in the way of
danger and end it all!"

Paul realized that another man had found his treasure and had been
encouraged, or why should he be saying "given second-place now that
another lover is at hand?" And it was evident that someone knew of his,
Paul's, proposed visit, as _this_ young man knew of his coming to see
Eleanor.

Such is the mortal's egotism! One never thinks of others in connection
with a selfish hope or idea, but believes that anything seen or heard
must appertain to that one thing. So Paul thought Eleanor was the love
this young man referred to, and that she had given him second-place
because of Paul's coming.

These thoughts flitted through his mind as young Baxter concluded, and
Eleanor waited a moment before answering. Then she said with a sigh:
"Dear Jack, a mild little flirtation never hurt any real case of love,
and I've told you many times, that a game of love like this would improve
or become fatal, because of such a flirtation. Like anti-toxin--it
_kills_ the germs or makes them wild so that no further doubt remains
about the patient. Let's use the hypodermic courageously and watch
results. If the love-germ dies, then go and throw yourself on the
railroad track and end your troubles. But should the opposite effect
result, you can always think of me as the specialist who advised the
heroic treatment!"

Paul was shocked to hear his "angel-girl" talk of her love in such a
dreadfully frank way, but the suitor's next sentence left no doubt in
Paul's mind that Eleanor was a horrid flirt.

"Well, Nolla, you must know best. Paul has been in love with you for a
long time, now, and you've had many young admirers since you came to New
York; so you understand and appreciate my present position and my right
to demand one thing or the other--either _I_ am the accepted one, or the
other man. Both of us cannot be kept dangling about, nor take turns in
loving when the other is absent from New York."

Paul was distressed at hearing this--that Eleanor could accept the
attentions of other men when he, Paul, was so hard at work out West,
trying to succeed in his profession that he might offer her a suitable
home! Now she was flirting with others, and this young man was
heart-broken over her short-comings, even as he, Paul, was.

Polly saw Paul wheel and rush from the room, and immediately after that,
Eleanor and Jack jumped up from the chairs and gazed at the door where
the intruder had disappea