se resolutely, without even looking at it. He
returned that way at half past six, and there, on the corner, was posted
Fowle--Fowle, with a swollen nose! There also was their special
patrolman, with an eye for both!

The mere sight of Fowle prowling in unwholesome quest stirred upwrath
in Carshaw's mind; and the heart, always subtle and self-deceiving,
whispered elatedly: "Here you have an excuse for renewing an
acquaintance which you wished to make yourself believe you did not
care to renew."

He walked straight to the door of the brown-stone house and rang. Then
he rapped. There was no answer. When he had rapped a second time he
walked away, but he had not gone far when he was almost startled to
find himself face to face with Winifred coming home from making some
purchases, with a bag on her arm.

He lifted his hat. Winifred, with a vivid blush, hesitated and stopped.
From the corner Fowle stared at the meeting, and made up his mind that
it was really a rendezvous. The patrolman thought so, too, but he had
new orders as to these two.

"Pardon me, Miss Bartlett," said Carshaw. "Ah, you see I know your name
better than you know mine. Mine is Carshaw--Rex Carshaw, if I may
introduce myself. I have this moment tapped at your door, in the hope of
seeing you."

"Why so?" asked Winifred.

"Do you wish to forget the incident of yesterday evening?"

"No; hence my stopping to hear what you have to say."

"Well, then, I am here to see to the repairing of my car--not in the
hope of seeing _you_, you know"--Carshaw said this with a twinkle in his
eye; "though, perhaps, if the truth were known, a little in that hope,
too. Then, there at the corner, I find the very man who molested you
last night looking at your house, and this spurred me to knock in order
to ask a favor. Was I wrong?"

"What favor, sir?"

"That, if ever you have the least cause to be displeased with the
conduct of that man in the future, you will consider it as _my_
business, and as an insult offered to _me_--as it will be after the
trouble of last night--and that you will let me know of the matter by
letter. Here is my address."

Winifred hesitated, then took the proffered card.

"But--" she faltered.

"No; promise me that. It really is my business now, you know."

"I cannot write to you. I--don't--know you."

"Then I shall only have to stand sentinel a certain number of hours
every day before your house, to see that all goes well. You can't
p