I see all the pretty
young ladies out there, including yourself, and you dancing with the
Cascade man. Why is it you'll never give me a dance?"

"Why is it you never ask me?" demanded Lise.

"What chance have I got, against him?"

"He don't own me," said Lise.

Mr. Tiernan threw back his head, and laughed.

"Well, if you're there to-night, tangoin' with him and I come up and
says, `Miss Bumpus, the pleasure is mine,' I'm wondering what would
happen."

"I'm not going to Slattery's to-night," she declared having that instant
arrived at this conclusion.

"And where then? I'll come along, if there's a chance for me."

"Quit your kidding," Lise reproved him.

Mr. Tiernan suddenly looked very solemn:

"Kidding, is it? Me kiddin' you? Give me a chance, that's all I'm asking.
Where will you be, now?"

"Is Frear wanted?" she demanded.

Mr. Tiernan's expression changed. His nose seemed to become more pointed,
his eyes to twinkle more merrily than ever. He didn't take the trouble,
now, to conceal his admiration.

"Sure, Miss Bumpus," he said, "if you was a man, we'd have you on the
force to-morrow."

"What's he wanted for?"

"Well," said Johnny, "a little matter of sprinklin'. He's been sprinklin'
his company's water without a license."

She was silent a moment before she exclaimed:--"I ought to have been
wise that he was a crook!"

"Well," said Johnny consolingly, "there's others that ought to have been
wise, too. The Cascade people had no business takin' on a man that
couldn't use but half of his mouth."

This seemed to Lise a reflection on her judgment. She proceeded to clear
herself.

"He was nothing to me. He never gave me no rest. He used to come 'round
and pester me to go out with him--"

"Sure!" interrupted Mr. Tiernan. "Don't I know how it is with the likes
of him! A good time's a good time, and no harm in it. But the point is"
and here he cocked his nose--"the point is, where is he? Where will he be
tonight?"

All at once Lise grew vehement, almost tearful.

"I don't know--honest to God, I don't. If I did I'd tell you. Last night
he said he might be out of town. He didn't say where he was going." She
fumbled in her bag, drawing out an imitation lace handkerchief and
pressing it to her eyes.

"There now!" exclaimed Mr. Tiernan, soothingly. "How would you know? And
he deceivin' you like he did the company--"

"He didn't deceive me," cried Lise.

"Listen," said Mr. Tiernan, who had risen a