face, but he knew that she had
realized the significance of his question.

"Why yes," she said at length, "I will be interested in what you
undertake. You will be Dad's partner."

Her evasion nettled him.

"Zen," he said, "why shouldn't we understand each other?"

"Don't we?" She had turned slightly toward him, and he could feel the
laughing mockery in her eyes.

"I rather think we do," he answered, "only we--at least, you--won't
admit it."

"Oh!"

"Seriously, Zen, do you imagine I came over here to-day simply to make a
deal with your father?"

"Wasn't that worth while?"

"Of course it was. But it wasn't the whole purpose--it wasn't half the
purpose. I wanted to see Y.D., it is true, but more, very much more, I
wanted to see you."

She did not answer, and he could only guess what was the trend of her
thoughts. After a silence he continued.

"You may think I am precipitate. You intimated as much to me once. I am.
I know of no reason why an honest man should go beating about the bush.
When I want something I want it, and I make a bee-line for it. If it is
a contract--if it is a business matter--I go right after it, with all
the energy that's in me. When I'm looking for a contract I don't start
by talking about the weather. Well--this is my first experience in love,
and perhaps my methods are all wrong, but it seems to me they should
apply. At any rate a girl of your intelligence will understand."

"Applying your business principles," she interrupted, "I suppose if you
wanted a wife and there was none in sight you would advertise for her?"

He defended his position. "I don't see why not," he declared. "I
can't understand the general attitude of levity toward matrimonial
advertisements. Apparently they are too open and above-board. Matrimony
should not be committed in a round-about, indirect, hit-or-miss manner.
A young man sees a girl whom he thinks he would like to marry. Does he
go to her house and say, 'Miss So-and-So, I think I would like to
marry you. Will you allow me to call on you so that we may get better
acquainted, with that object in view?' He does not. Such honesty would
be considered almost brutal. He calls on her and pretends he would like
to take her to the theatre, if it is in town, or for a ride, if it is in
the country. She pretends she would like to go. Both of them know what
the real purpose is, and both of them pretend they don't. They start the
farce by pretending a deceit which dece