eemed to be streaked with dull gold.
But the chin held him with an odd sort of fascination, and he strove to
read her character in it. "Bold and resolute," he decided, "but too
Western, entirely too Far Western. She needs civilizing." He was rather
glad that he was going away with Mr. Grayson on the morrow and would not
see her again.

"I should think," she said; "that the life of a newspaper correspondent
is extremely interesting. You have all the pleasures and none of the
responsibilities; you go to war, but you do not fight; you enter great
political campaigns, but you cannot be defeated; you are always with the
victor and never with the vanquished; you are not bound by geographical
limits nor by facts, nor--"

"Excuse me, Miss Morgan," interrupted Harley, with dignity. "In my
profession, as in all others, there are irresponsible persons, but the
great majority of its followers are conscientious and industrious. If
you only knew how--"

"That sounds as if it had been prepared in advance," she exclaimed. "I
am sure that you have used it many times before."

"You must not mind Sylvia," said Mrs. Grayson, smiling her grave, quiet
smile. "She seldom means what she says, or says what she means."

"Aunt Anna," exclaimed Miss Morgan, "you are really too hard upon your
beloved niece. I never before dined with the staff correspondent of a
great New York newspaper, and I am really seeking information. Now I
wish to know if in his profession imagination is the most valuable
quality, as I have heard it said."

"Do you wish to embroil me with the press so early?" asked Mr. Grayson,
laughing.

"I have heard great tales about them and their daring," she persisted.
"I am not sure that even now he has not a camera concealed under his
coat."

"Why, Sylvia, what a strange thing to say!" exclaimed Mrs. Grayson.

But Harley started in his seat and flushed a deep red. "Miss Morgan, I
shall have to ask your pardon," he exclaimed.

Mr. and Mrs. Grayson looked at them in surprise.

"Here is something that we do not understand," said Mr. Grayson.

"Why, Uncle James, there is nothing strange about what I have said,"
continued Miss Morgan, with the most innocent face. "I thought all of
them carried cameras, else how do we get all the wonderful pictures?"

Harley felt inclined to tell the entire table his experience, but on
second thought he remained silent, as the girl from Idaho began to pique
him, and he was not willing that t