“Say, Miss Sturgis,” he began, “please don’t be sore at me. I didn’t know I’d find a girl like you in here. Miss Alexander said you were awfully nice and I thought maybe you’d be doing me a favor one of these days. I took a chance on getting in to see you the way I did. Don’t blame the kid.”

“What kid?”

“The office boy. I slipped him a quarter and told him to tell you I was an old friend of yours and wanted to give you a surprise.”

“Upon my word!”

“Well, you see,—we’ve all got to make our living; you, me and the office boy.”

“There are ways of doing it,” said Jeannette acidly.

“I think they’re all legitimate.”

“What,—bribing office boys?”

“Well, I didn’t bribe him exactly. I deceived him.” He laughed again. He was Irish, the girl noted, and presumably considered he had a great deal of Irish charm.

“At any rate, I got in to see you.”