s Lacey considerable worry,
and me quite as much, although I don't think best to let Martha know
it. I intended to go to the hotel to meet her myself; but"--

The younger man smiled, and the judge saw that he understood.

"I shall prepare some memoranda for you. What I am ready to buy is
peace. You understand? You will be cautious, and not let me in for
anything except perhaps immediate expenses. Follow Miss Lacey's lead;
but let her lead. Eh?"

"Certainly, Judge Trent. As I said before, I can manage this with one
hand tied behind me. It isn't as if it were the Evans case."

"The Evans case!" Judge Trent growled scornfully. "The Evans case is a
bagatelle to this. Now you see to it that you're wise as a serpent in
this matter. First and foremostly, and last and lastly, I won't have
that girl in my house. Understand?"

"Oh, surely. I understand."

"Let Miss Lacey make the decisions and you be cautious."

"Ay, ay, Judge," returned Dunham airily.

CHAPTER III

A RAILWAY TRIP

The speculator on a large scale feels no more elated over the rescue of
a fortune from anticipated loss than did Miss Lacey in the recovery of
her one thousand dollars. In the expansion of ideas which it caused she
determined to celebrate by taking a chair in the parlor car for Boston
on Wednesday morning.

John Dunham boarded the train just as it was pulling out of the
station, and as he approached his seat suddenly heard himself
greeted:--

"It _is_ Sir Walter," said a pleased voice. "I wasn't sure till you
took your hat off."

The young man paused in the act of hanging up his hat and looked down
upon the occupant of the next chair. She was regarding him with
interest.

"Why, good-morning, Miss Lacey," he responded, and perhaps his smile
would not have been so pronounced but for the quick consideration of
Judge Trent's situation had he not transferred his ticket this morning.

Dunham even wondered if Miss Lacey might not have learned in some way
who it was that had engaged this chair and made her arrangements
accordingly. However, the surprise with which she recognized him was
certainly genuine.

"Aren't these seats comfortable?" she went on as he sank into his. "I
never traveled in one before. I'm just being reckless this morning."

Her triumphant, half-defiant regard did not indicate that she was
laboring under any disappointment.

Upon Dunham's acquiescence she continued: "Perhaps, being in the
office, you know abo