"In that case," said Barbara, "I surrender."

"If you only would, Barbs."

"'Phone if you are going to, and don't be always slipping sentiment
into a business proposition," She affected to look very stern and
business-like.

"I shall engage the magic taxi," he affirmed.

"The what?"

"Don't you know? There's a magic taxi in the city--just one. You get in,
you give your order, and lo and behold, rivers and seas are crossed,
countries and continents, until finally you fetch up in the place where
you would be, and when you look at the meter you find that it hasn't
registered as much as a penny."

"Time," said Barbara, "flies even faster than a magic taxicab. So if you
are going to 'phone--"

"Is there no drop of sentiment in that exquisite shell which the world
knows as Barbara Ferris? Didn't any man ever mean anything to
you, Barbs?"

She flushed slightly, for there had come into her thoughts quite
unbidden the image of a certain young man in workman's clothes, kneeling
at a door, and removing an old japanned iron lock. She shook her head
firmly, and smiled up at him insultingly.