her as extremely "quaint."

"It was a very short time of your life then. I should have thought you'd
want to stay weeks in New York, as you hadn't been there for so long--and
you'd travelled so far. You see, I saw in the paper that you'd come from
California. And that interested me, because my--because dear friends of
mine have told me so much about California." She did not add that she was
on her way there, but, of course, he might suspect, meeting her in New
Orleans, if he were curious concerning her movements.

"I did mean to stay some time when I went East," he admitted, "but--well,
perhaps I was homesick. Anyhow, I felt as if I'd got a hurry call to go
home."

"What an odd coincidence, our meeting here!" Angela spoke out her thought.

"Ye-es," assented Nick. "I reckon it does seem that way." He was
interested in the pattern of the carpet. "If you won't think it a liberty,
now I _am_ here," he began again, "I'll be mighty glad to try and find
your bag. If you'll tell me just how and where you lost it----"

Angela shook her head. "You're not to spend your time fussing with the
police, as you did in New York."

"But I'd like it better than anything," he said. "I didn't come to New
Orleans to see the sights, anyhow. I'll feel down and out if you won't let
me help. 'Twill seem as if I'd managed wrong in New York."

"Oh, if you're going to feel like _that_!" And forthwith Angela told him
the story of her loss.

"All your money and a check-book full of blank checks!" he echoed.

"Yes. I've wired already to have the checks stopped for the bank's sake.
But it's a bore. And I was fond of that bag. Besides, I had about five
hundred dollars in my purse. Now I shall have to wait here till I can get
more."

"You wanted to go?" he asked.

"Yes--to-morrow. However, that doesn't matter."

"It does, if you wanted to. But, see here, ma'am, I've thought of
something."

"My name is Mrs. May," said Angela, smiling.

"I know--I mean, are you willing I should call you it, just as if I was
really acquainted with you?"

"Of course. Why not?"

"Well, you see," he explained. "What I don't know about society and the
right way to act with ladies could be put in a book bigger than the Bible.
And I wouldn't offend you, for--for a good deal."

"I feel certain you'd know the 'right way to act,' by instinct," Angela
assured him. "You were splendid to me that night in New York. Very few men
would have known how to do what you did