"Oh, no! He would be displeased if he knew that I had come here to-day."
"Miss Thurston, I admire your pluck. I, not being responsible for Mr. Stuart's or for Mr. Presby's speculations, can of course do nothing for you in this. If I could, I think my gratitude to you for saving my life would take a personal form. This is business, and in that each man fights for himself. By the way, how did you get the notion that I am in any way responsible for Mr. Stuart's misjudgment on market conditions?"
"I chanced to overhear your conversation with your friend 'Jim' on the sleeper."
"So you played eavesdropper! I would not have thought it of you, Miss Thurston."
"It was impossible not to hear; but when you mentioned Mr. Stuart's name, I listened, call it what you please."
"I presume you told Robert Stuart what you heard," he responded, again flushing.
"No, Mr. Bonner—not yet."
With the words, Barbara rose and ran out of the office, slamming the door behind her. Her face was aflame and she was trembling.
When she reached the street she decided to walk for part of the distance, so that she would have time to quiet her agitation before she should reach the Stuarts' home. It was growing dark before she realized that she would have to take a taxi or the Stuarts would be very much worried about her.
"Oh, Bab, where have you been? We've been frightfully worried," cried Ruth. "Dad's home, and he said his secretary told him you'd left the office about three o'clock."