"Do you like your present occupation?"

"It was the best I could find." How he would have liked to throw
discretion to the winds and tell her the whole miserable story!

"Are you good at accounting?"

"Fairly." What was all this about? He began to riffle the leaves of
the book, restively.

"Could you tell an honest man from a dishonest one?"

"I believe so." Thomas had eyebrows, too, but he did not know how to
use them properly. Tell an honest man from a dishonest one, forsooth!

Kitty found the situation less easy than she had anticipated. The more
questions she asked, the more embarrassed she grew; and it angered her
because there was no clear reason why she should become embarrassed.
And she also remarked his uneasiness. However, she went on
determinedly.

"Have you ever had any contact with real poverty?"

"Yes,"--close-lipped. "Pardon me, Miss Killigrew, but . . ."

"Just a moment, Mr. Webb," she interrupted. "I dare say my questions
seem impertinent, but they have a purpose back of them. My mother and
I are looking for a private secretary for a charitable concern which we
are going to organize shortly. We desire some one who is educated, who