ev been talkin'."

She said no more till we descended from the buggy in the livery stable
where Jaspar was in the habit of putting up his horses.

"You ain't seen Mr. Panel, hev you?" she asked the ostler.

"He's around somewheres," the man replied. With this information we
started out to look for him. Away from the familiar brush hills,
confronted by strange faces, confused, possibly, by the traffic, my
companion seemed so nervous and helpless that I dared not leave her.
Almost unconsciously, we directed our steps towards the Amalgamated
Oil Company's office. Here we learned that Leveson was in town, and
that Uncle Jap had called to see him.

"Did he see him?" Mrs. Panel's voice quavered.

"No," the clerk answered curtly; then he added: "Nobody sees the boss
without an appointment. We told Mr. Panel to call to-morrow."

If the clerk had spoken with tongues of angels Lily could not have
assumed a more seraphic expression.

"An' where is he now?" she asked.

"Your husband, ma'am? I can't tell you."

"I mean Mr. Leveson."

"He's in there," the private room was indicated, "and up to his eyes
in work. He won't quit till he goes to dinner at the Paloma. D'ye hear
the typewriters clicking? He makes things hum when he's here, and
don't you forget it."

"I shall never forget that," said Mrs. Panel, in an accent which made
me remember that her grandfather had been a graduate of Harvard
University. "Good-afternoon."

We walked on down the street. Suddenly, Mrs. Panel staggered, and
might have fallen had I not firmly grasped her arm.

"I dunno' what ails me," she muttered.

"Did you eat any breakfast this morning?"

"I dunno' as I did," she admitted with reluctance.

"Did you eat any dinner?"

"Mebbee I didn't." Her innate truthfulness compelled her to add with a
pathetic defiance: "I couldn't hev swallered a mossel to save my
life."

I took her to a restaurant, and prescribed a plate of soup and a glass
of wine. Then I said with emphasis:

"Now, look here, Mrs. Panel! I want you to rest, while I hunt up Mr.
Panel. When I find him I'll bring him to you."

"An' s'pose he won't come?"

"He will come."

"No, he won't; not till he's done what he's set his mind to do. Was
you aimin' to hunt fer Jaspar up an' down this town?"

"Certainly. It's not as big as you think."

"'Pears to me it'd be a better plan to keep an eye on the other
feller."

With a woman's instinct she had hit the mark.

"Perhaps it