CHAPTER VIII.
A KINDLING INTEREST.
RANK Marion, on his way to the store one morning, stopped at the office where Bethany had been installed just a week.
"You will find me dropping in here quite often," he said to Mr. Edmunds, whom he met coming out of the door. "Since that little cousin of mine is never to be found at home in the day-time any more, I shall have to call on him here. He is my right-hand man in Junior League work."
"Who? Jack?" inquired Mr. Edmunds. "He's the most original little piece I ever saw. Sorry I'm called out just now, Frank. You're always welcome, you know."
Bethany was seated at her typewriter, so intent on her manuscript that she did not notice Mr. Marion's entrance. Jack, in his chair by the window, was working vigorously with slate and pencil at an arithmetic lesson. As Bethany paused to take the finished page from the machine, Jack looked up and saw Mr. Marion's tall form in the doorway.
"O, come in!" he cried, joyfully. "I want you to see how nice everything is here. We have the best times."
Mr. Marion looked across at Bethany, and smiled at the child's delight.