hands for a moment over the fire, and then answered shortly that he
_had_ found Mullany.

"What did he say?"

"Oh,--what I expected," said Mr. Juddson, turning over the papers on his
table. He disliked unnecessary questions. Mrs. Tarbell had no interest
in Mullany, and the most she ought to do was to ask about him in an
off-hand way in the street-car on the way home. Mr. Juddson discovered
the paper for which he was searching, and turned toward the door.

"Are you going out?" said Mrs. Tarbell.

The door was already half open.

"Reference before Murray. Back at one," was all Mr. Juddson deigned to
say.

"Alexander!" cried Mrs. Tarbell,--when the office-boy was in, she called
her brother Mr. Juddson,--"Alexander!"

"_Well_?" said Mr. Juddson. He was late as it was.

"You will make the office very cold if you leave the door--but never
mind. Don't let me keep you. I only wanted to tell you that I should
like to talk to you about something some time to-d--" The rest of the
sentence was lost upon Mr. Juddson, who had already shut the door behind
him, and Mrs. Tarbell felt aggrieved.

So much aggrieved, in fact, that she found it impossible to return to