ried up to Reyburn's
office and tapped on the door, her heart in her mouth lest he should be
occupied with some one else and not be able to see her before her few
minutes of leave which she had obtained from the factory should have
expired.

Reyburn himself opened the door to her, and treated her as if she had
been a lady every inch, handing her a chair and speaking quite as if she
were attired in sealskin and diamonds.

She looked him over with bright eyes of approval. Jane was a born
sentimentalist, fed on the movies. Not for anything would she have had a
knight rescue her lady fair who did not look the part. She was entirely
satisfied with this one. In fact, she was almost tongue-tied with
admiration for the moment.

Then she rallied to the speech she had prepared:

"Mr. Reyburn," she said, "I came to see you about a matter of very great
importance. I heard you was a great lawyer, and I've got a friend that's
in trouble. I thought mebbe you could do something about it. But first,
I want to ast you a question, an' I want you to consider it perfectly
confidential!"

Jane took great credit to herself that she had assembled all these words
and memorized them so perfectly.

"Certainly!" said Reyburn gravely, wondering what kind of a customer he
had now.

"I don't want you to think I can't pay for it," said Jane, laying down a
five-dollar bill grandly. "I know you can't afford to waste your
valuable time even to answer a question."

"Oh, that's all right," said Reyburn heartily. "Let me hear what the
question is first. There may be no charge."

"No," said Jane hastily, laying the bill firmly on the desk before him.
"I shan't feel right astin' unless I know it's to be paid for."

"Oh, very well," said Reyburn, taking the bill and laying it to one
side. "Now, what is the question?"

"Well, Mr. Reyburn, will you please tell me what would anybody want to
offer a reward, a big reward, like a thousand dollars--or several of
them,--for information about any one? Could you think of any reason?"

Reyburn started. Reward again! This was uncanny. Probably this girl had
been to the movies and seen the same picture that Ryan had told him
about. But he smiled gravely and answered, watching her quizzically the
while:

"Well, they might love the person that had disappeared," he suggested at
random.

"Oh, no!" said Jane decidedly. "They didn't! I know that fer a fac'!
What else could it be?"

"Well, they might have a r