at there was a great deal more to it.
She fell to studying his hands. The fingers were long and slender, but
flat, sinewy, and powerful. They seemed to express tenacity of purpose,
a grip of whatever they undertook. Once more she looked at his profile,
and again she was struck by an elusive familiarity.

"You remind me of somebody--of something," she said. "I can't place
it."

"Indeed!" he responded. "Now, I hope the unplaced recollection is not
unpleasant."

"It's not definite enough. But it is there. It's not so much when you
face me--it's the side view. I've never met you before, of course."

"Of course not," he agreed, but his eyes laughed at her.

"Have I?" she exclaimed. "Surely not! I'm not forgetful, as a rule."

"I was wondering," he said, "if you would remember me. I knew you at
once, but I can't claim the honour of having been presented before
to-night. Our acquaintance, if I may call it that, was very informal."

"But when--where?" she demanded. "I don't recall----"

"Well, it's not surprising," he admitted. "I was dressed differently.
Naturally you wouldn't expect to see me in these." He glanced down at
his evening clothes. "The fact is, I sat across the aisle from you in
the car when----"

"Oh!" she cried. "Now I know. When the train was held up. Why, of
course it _was_ you. I'm so glad to meet you again. I've always wanted
to thank you for relieving me of the attentions of that--that----"

"That fresh guy," he supplied gravely.

"Thank you! That 'fresh guy,'" she smiled. "But for you I should have
lost my watch. And then you lent me ten dollars."

"Well, you see, they got all your cash."

"I don't know whatever made me take it. I have it still. I didn't need
it. I had a book of travellers' checks and credits at the coast. I
intended to give it back to you at once. I hope it didn't
inconvenience----"

She stopped, conscious that her estimate of the finances of the man in
the train had probably been mistaken.

"Not a bit," he replied. "I had a small roll stowed away."

"But what became of you?" she asked. "You didn't come back. I asked the
conductor and the porters--everybody. What happened?"

"Why, the explanation is very simple, though I'm not proud of it. When
I heard the shooting up in front I thought it was up to me to help the
train boys, and I went out with the best intentions. The holdups were
backing off, burning a lot of powder but doing no harm, and I guessed
that their horse