ound. "Ain't it fine? Make you hungry to look at all them
plates?"

Hilda followed his gesture with a smile. Her jacket was still buttoned
tightly, and her eyes were bright and her cheeks red from the brisk
outer air. Bannon and James were coming toward them, and she greeted
them with a nod.

"There's going to be plenty of room," she said.

"That's right," Pete replied. "There won't be no elbows getting in the
way at this dinner. Come up where you can see better." He led the way to
the platform, and they all followed.

"This is the speakers' table," Pete went on, "where the boss and all
will be"--he winked toward Bannon--"and the guest of honor. You show her
how we sit, Max; you fixed that part of it."

Max walked around the table, pointing out his own, Pete's, James', and
Bannon's seats, and those of the committee. The middle seat, next to
Bannon's he passed over.

"Hold on," said Pete, "you forgot something."

Max grinned and drew back the middle chair.

"This is for the guest of honor," he said, and looked at Hilda. Pete was
looking at her, too, and James--all but Bannon.

The color, that had been leaving her face, began to come back.

"Do you mean me?" she asked

"I guess that's pretty near," said Pete.

She shook her head. "Oh, no--thank you very much--I can't stay."

Pete and Max looked at each other.

"The boys'll be sorry," said Pete. "It's kind of got out that maybe
you'd be here, and--I don't believe they'd let you off."

Hilda was smiling, but her face was flushed. She shook her head. "Oh,
no," she replied; "I only came to help."

Pete turned on Max, with a clumsy laugh that did not cover his
disappointment.

"How about this, Max? You ain't been tending to business. Ain't that so,
James? Wasn't he going to see that she come and sat up with us where the
boys could see her?" He turned to Hilda. "You see, most of the boys know
you've had a good deal to do with things on the job, and they've kind of
took a shine to you----" Pete suddenly awoke to the fact that he had
never talked so boldly to a girl before. He hesitated, looked around at
Max and James for support and at Bannon, and then, finding no help, he
grinned, and the warm color surged over his face. The only one who saw
it all was Hilda, and in spite of her embarrassment the sight of big,
strong, bashful Pete was too much for her. A twinkle came into her eyes,
and a faint smile hovered about her mouth. Pete saw it, misunderstood
it, a