?" Jinnie asked shyly, "I--I----"
but she had no more time to finish.

"I'll tell him to-morrow, Jinnie!" exclaimed Theodore. "Are you happy,
dearest?"

"So happy," she sighed, with loving assurance.

The rest of the day they were like two frolicking children, eating
their luncheon under the tall trees. When the shadows fell, they left
their trysting place, and with their arms about each other, went
slowly back to the automobile.

CHAPTER XXXI

WHAT THEODORE TOLD HIS FRIEND

"He's been gone all day," mourned Molly miserably to Jordan Morse.
They had finished dinner; Molly had put Mrs. King to bed, and the two
were seated in chairs on the lawn. Every minute that passed and found
Theodore still away was like an eternity to the woman. She had always
hated the office hours which took him from the house, hated the
business friends who dropped in now and then and changed the
conversation from the delicate personal things she always managed to
dwell upon.

During the years she had been companion to Mrs. King, Theo's dinner
and luncheon hours were ones of joy to her. Now this day had passed
without him.

"He'll show up before long," Morse said presently. "What a lot of
worry you have over that man!... Now if you had a problem on your
hands like mine----"

The soft chug of a motor cut off his ejaculation.

"He's coming, now," he said, getting up.

Molly responded coldly to Theodore's friendly salute from the car.

As Mr. King walked quickly toward them, Morse called laughingly,

"We had just decided you'd been kidnapped."

"Nothing like that," answered Theodore, "I've been in the country....
Sit down, Jordan; no use standing up!" And Theodore seated himself on
the grass.

"It's been a fine day," he went on boyishly, scarcely knowing what to
say.

"Lovely," agreed Molly, and Jordan supplemented this by asking:

"Have a--pleasant ride?"

"Yes, delightful! One doesn't realize how murky the city is until he
goes in the country for a day."

After a time, during which he looked up through the enfolding green of
the trees, he proceeded calmly,

"I took Miss Grandoken on a picnic."

Morse's sudden glance at Molly warned her to control herself.

"She's an odd child," continued Theodore, "but, then, all geniuses
are. I don't know when I've so thoroughly enjoyed myself."

Morse's "That's good," was closely followed by Molly's curt question,
"Where'd you go?"

"Just up the lake a ways. We took some