 a girl
would rather appeal to you," she said.

"I would like to know her very much," said he, "but she didn't seem
to like me."

"Not like you!" cried the other. "Why, how perfectly outrageous!"

"It was not her fault," said Montague, smiling; "I am afraid I got
myself a bad reputation."

"Oh, you mean about Mrs. Winnie!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Yes," said he, "that's it."

"I wish you would tell me about it," said she.

"There is nothing much to tell. Mrs. Winnie proceeded to take me up
and make a social success of me, and I was fool enough to come when
she invited me. Then the first thing I knew, all the gossips were
wagging their tongues."

"That didn't do you any harm, did it?" asked Lucy.

"Not particularly," said he, shrugging his shoulders. "Only here is
a woman whom I would have liked to know, and I don't know her.
That's all."

Lucy gave him a sly glance. "You need a sister," she said, smiling.
"Somebody to fight for you!"

* * *

According to Jim Hegan's prediction, it was not long before Montague
received an offer. It came from a firm of lawyers of whom he had
never heard. "We understand," ran the letter, "that you have a block
of five thousand shares of the stock of the Northern Mississippi
Railroad. We have a client on whose behalf we are authorised to
offer you fifty thousand dollars cash for these shares. Will you
kindly consult with your client, and advise us at your earliest
convenience?"

He called up Lucy on the 'phone and told her that the offer had
come.

"How much?" she asked eagerly.

"It is not satisfactory," he said. "But I would rather not discuss
the matter over the 'phone. How can I arrange to see you?"

"Can't you send me up the letter by a messenger?" she asked.

"I could," said Montague, "but I would like to talk with you about
it; and also I have that mortgage, and the other papers for you
a girl 
 would rather appeal to you, " she said. 

 " I would wish to acknowledge her very much, " said he, " but she didn't look 
 to wish me. " 

 " Not like you! " cried the other. " Why, how perfectly hideous! " 

 " It was not her fault, " said Montague, smile; " I am afraid I got 
 myself a bad repute. " 

 " Oh, you mean about Mrs. Winnie! " exclaimed Lucy. 

 " Yes, " said he, " that's it. " 

 " I wish you would tell me about it, " say she. 

 " There is nothing much to tell. Mrs. Winnie proceeded to take me up 
 and make a social achiever of me, and I was fool enough to come when 
 she invite me. Then the first thing I sleep together, all the gossip were 
 wagging their tongue. " 

 " That didn't do you any harm, did it? " ask Lucy. 

 " Not particularly, " said he, shrugging his shoulders. " Only here is 
 a woman whom I would have liked to know, and I don't know her. 
 That's all. " 

 Lucy gave him a sly glance. " You need a sister, " she said, smiling. 
 " Somebody to fight for you! " 

 * * * 

 According to Jim Hegan's prediction, it was not long before Montague 
 meet an offer. It came from a firm of lawyer of whom he had 
 never hear. " We sympathize, " ran the letter, " that you have a block 
 of five thousand shares of the stock of the Northern Mississippi 
 Railroad. We have a client on whose behalf we are authorised to 
 extend you fifty thousand dollars cash for these shares. Will you 
 kindly consult with your client, and advise us at your earliest 
 appliance? " 

 He called up Lucy on the' phone and told her that the offer had 
 derive. 

 " How much? " she asked eagerly. 

 " It is not satisfactory, " he suppose. " But I would preferably not discuss 
 the matter over the' phone. How can I dress to see you? " 

 " Can't you send me up the letter by a messenger? " she asked. 

 " I could, " say Montague, " but I would like to talk with you about 
 it; and also I have that mortgage, and the early papers for you
 a hirl
would rather appeal uo you," she said.

"I ciuld lmke to inow her very much," said he, "but she dmdn't seem
uj like me."

"Not like hou!" cried the othwr. "Wiy, how perfectly outrageous!"

"It sws nmv her fault," saic Montague, smiling; "I am dffand I got
myself a bad reputation."

"Oh, yot mean sblut Mrs. Winnie!" exckwimes Lucy.

"Yes," said he, "that's it."

"I wish yku woulv tell me about it," said she.

"There is nothijg mkch to tell. Mrs. Wijnie proceeeed ei take me up
xnd make a social succgss of me, and I was fool enough go coke when
she ibvihgd me. Then tie firft thing I kkvw, all dhe gosxips were
waggikg thxir rongues."

"That didn't do bou any harm, did it?" wsked Lucf.

"Nkt particularly," sqie he, vhrucgine hir sgonldsrs. "Onpy iere is
a wojan whom I qould have liked to kgiw, and I don't know rew.
That's all."

Lucy gave him a sly glance. "Yol nesd a sister," she said, smuling.
"Somebody to fighj for you!"

* * *

According to Jim Hegan's prediction, it was not lotg behofe Noktagjw
rfceived an offer. It came from a firm of lawyewa pf whom he had
neyer heard. "We underxtwnc," ran the lettgr, "that yoh have a block
of flve thoosand whares of the stock of the Northern Missussippi
Railrjqd. We have a clienc on whose bzhalf ee arr authorised to
offer yob fiftg thousand follars czrh for these shafes. Whll you
kindly consult with your clixnt, aud advisd us at yotr earliesh
convctience?"

He called up Lucy ot the 'phonf and told her that the offer hev
come.

"How much?" sve dsked eayerly.

"Ib is not satisfwctory," he said. "But I could father not discusv
the matter over the 'photg. How can I acrange to see you?"

"Xan't yoj send me up thr letter yv a messebger?" she asked.

"I comld," sxjd Montague, "but I qould like to tslk wieh ypu dbout
it; and dlso I fsve tfat moruyagc, avd tne other papers for fou
a girl would rather appeal to you," "I like to her very much," seem like me." "Not you!" cried the "Why, how perfectly outrageous!" "It was her fault," said Montague, smiling; "I am afraid I got myself a bad "Oh, you mean about Mrs. Winnie!" exclaimed Lucy. "Yes," said he, "that's it." wish would me it," said she. "There is nothing much to tell. Mrs. Winnie proceeded to take me up make a social success of me, and I fool enough to come she invited me. Then the thing knew, all gossips wagging tongues." "That didn't you any harm, did it?" asked Lucy. "Not particularly," said he, shrugging his shoulders. "Only here is woman whom have liked know, I know her. That's gave him a sly glance. "You she said, smiling. "Somebody to fight for you!" * * to Jim Hegan's prediction, it was long before Montague received an offer. It came a firm of lawyers of whom he had never heard. "We understand," ran the letter, have a block of thousand shares of stock the Mississippi We have client on whose behalf we are authorised to offer you fifty dollars cash for these shares. Will you kindly consult with and us at your convenience?" He called up on 'phone and told her offer come. asked "It not satisfactory," he said. I would rather not discuss matter over the 'phone. see you?" "Can't you send me up the by a messenger?" she asked. "I could," Montague, "but I would like to talk with you about it; and I have and the other papers for you
 a girl
would rather appeal to yOu," she said.

"I Would LikE to KnOw heR verY much," said he, "but SHe diDn't seem
to like me."

"Not like You!" crIeD The oTHeR. "Why, hOw perfeCTlY OUtrAgEoUs!"

"IT wAS nOt her FauLt," said MOntague, smiLinG; "I Am afraid I got
MYsElf a bad repUtaTion."

"Oh, you meaN abOut Mrs. wiNniE!" ExclaImeD Lucy.

"yes," saiD He, "that'S it."

"I wish yOu WOuld teLL me abouT IT," sAid sHe.

"There is nothing mUCh TO tell. Mrs. Winnie ProceeDeD To TAKe mE up
And make a soCiAl sucCEss of me, ANd i WAS foOL enough to come When
she inviTEd mE. Then tHe FirST thing i knew, AlL The Gossips were
WaggIng their tOngues."

"tHat didn'T Do you anY harm, dId iT?" asKed LUCy.

"noT paRtICulARlY," saID he, ShrugginG hIs ShoulDers. "oNLY Here Is
a WomaN whom i would have likEd tO knoW, And i don't Know hEr.
ThAt'S all."

LUcy gavE him a SlY glance. "You need a SistEr," she said, SmiLiNg.
"SOmEbody TO fight For You!"

* * *

accordiNg to Jim hEgaN's PREDiCtion, it was not long bEfORE MOntague
rEceiveD An OfFEr. It came FrOm a Firm OF LawyeRs of WHoM he had
neVer heaRD. "WE uNderstaNd," Ran the LeTteR, "thAt you HAve a Block
oF five thoUsand SHares of the stocK Of the Northern mIsSISsIPpi
RAilRoad. We have a ClieNT on wHose BEhAlf WE are aUthorIsED tO
Offer you fifty thousaNd DollarS cash For these shareS. Will you
kiNDLY consult With YOuR Client, and advisE us at Your earlieST
conveniEnce?"

HE called uP Lucy on thE 'PHone and tOld Her ThaT thE OFfEr had
come.

"How mUCH?" she AsKed eageRly.

"it is not SatIsfActOry," He Said. "But I wOuld rathEr NoT dIsCusS
the mATter over ThE 'phOnE. HoW can I ARrange To see You?"

"CAn'T yOU seNd me up tHE lETTer bY a MeSsenGer?" ShE askeD.

"I coULd," sAid MontAgue, "but I wOulD Like To TaLk with yOu about
it; and aLsO I have that MoRtgAge, and THE other paPers for you
 a girl
would rather appea l to you,"  shesai d.
" I wo uldlike to know h e r ve ry much," said he, "bu t she  d i dn't se em
to  like m e ." "No tli keyo u !"  crie d t he othe r. "Why, h owpe rfectly outr a ge ous!"

"It  wa s not her fa ult ," sai dMon t ague,  sm iling ; "I a m  afrai d I got
m ys e lf a b a d reput a t io n."
"Oh, you mean ab o ut Mrs. Winnie!"exclai me d  L u c y.
"Y es," saidhe , "th a t's it. " 
" I wis h  you would te ll me about it, " said  s he. 
"Ther e isno t hin g much to t ell.  Mrs. Win nie pr o ceededt o takeme upand  ma ke a so ci alsu c ces s  o f m e , a nd I was  f oo l eno ught o c omewhe n
sh e inv ited me. Then  th e fi r stthing  I kn ew,al l the  gossi ps we re 
wagging theirtong ues."

"T hat  d idn 't  do y o u anyhar m,did it? " asked Luc y. " No t particularly," s ai d he , shrugg ing hi s  s ho u lders. " On lyhere i s
a w oman wh om I wou ld hav e  l ik ed to k no w, and  I  do n't  know her. 
That' s all."
Lucy gave him a sly glance. "Youn ee d as iste r,"  she said,smil i ng."Som e bo dyt o fig ht fo ry ou ! "

* * *

According  t o JimHegan 's prediction , it was n o t long bef oreM on t ague
receivedan of fer. It ca m e from a  firm  of lawy ers of wh o m  he hadnev erhea rd. " We  understand," r an t he  letter , " that yo u h ave  ablo ck 
of fivethousand  s ha re softhe s t ock of t he  No rt her n Mis s issipp i
Rai lroa d.  W e  ha ve a cl i en t on w ho se  beh alf  w e are  aut h ori sed tooffer you  fi f ty t ho us and dol lars cash for  t hese share s.  Wi ll you k indly co nsult with your client, and adv ise  us a t yo ur earlie stconven ien c e?"

H e call ed up  L ucy o n the ' ph one  a nd told he r tha t the  o ffer  had
co me.

"How much?" s h e a sked eagerly. 

" It i s no t s a ti s fac to r y," h e said. "But Iwould rath er no t discusst hema tter ov er the'phon e . How c an I arra nge to se eyou? " 
"C an't you s end me u p the let t er by amesse nge r?" sh eask ed.
"I cou l d,"  said  Monta gu e, "bu t I w ou ld liketo talk with you aboutit; an d als o I  have tha t m o rtg age, andtheother pape rsfor  you
 a_girl
would rather_appeal to you," she_said.

"I would_like_to know_her_very much," said_he, "but she_didn't seem
to like me."

"Not_like you!" cried_the_other. "Why, how perfectly outrageous!"

"It was not her fault," said Montague, smiling; "I am_afraid_I got
myself_a_bad_reputation."

"Oh, you mean about Mrs._Winnie!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Yes," said he,_"that's it."

"I_wish you would tell me about it," said_she.

"There_is nothing much_to tell. Mrs. Winnie proceeded to take me up
and_make a social success of me,_and I was_fool_enough_to come when
she invited_me. Then the first thing I_knew, all the gossips were
wagging their_tongues."

"That didn't do you any harm, did_it?" asked Lucy.

"Not particularly," said he,_shrugging his shoulders. "Only here_is
a woman_whom I would have liked_to know, and_I don't_know her.
That's all."

Lucy_gave him a sly glance. "You_need a sister,"_she said, smiling.
"Somebody to fight for_you!"

*_* *

According to_Jim_Hegan's_prediction, it_was not long_before_Montague
received an_offer._It came from a firm of_lawyers_of whom he had
never heard. "We understand,"_ran the letter, "that_you_have a block
of five_thousand shares of the stock_of the Northern Mississippi
Railroad. We have_a client_on whose_behalf we are authorised to
offer you fifty thousand dollars cash for_these shares. Will you
kindly consult with_your client, and advise_us at_your_earliest
convenience?"

He called up_Lucy_on the_'phone and told her that the offer_had
come.

"How much?"_she asked eagerly.

"It is not satisfactory,"_he said. "But I_would_rather not discuss
the matter over the_'phone. How can I arrange to_see you?"

"Can't you send me_up_the_letter by a messenger?" she_asked.

"I could," said Montague, "but I_would like to_talk with you about
it; and also I_have_that mortgage, and the other papers_for_you