"That's it," interrupted Sydney, with a little embarrassed laugh. "It hadn't."
"What hadn't? Hadn't what?"
"The machine; it hadn't broken down."
"But I saw it," exclaimed Neil. "What do you mean, Syd?"
"I mean that it hadn't really broken down, Neil. I--the truth is I had pried one of the links up with a screw-driver."
Neil stared in a puzzled way.
"But--what for?" he asked.
"Don't you understand?" asked Sydney, shame-faced. "Because I wanted to know you, and I thought if you found me there with my machine busted you'd try to fix it; and I'd make your acquaintance. It--it was awfully dishonest, I know," muttered Sydney at the last.
Neil stared for a moment in surprise. Then he clapped the other on the shoulder and laughed uproariously.
"Oh, to think of guileless little Syd being so foxy!" he cried. "I wouldn't have believed it if any one else had told me, Syd."