"Surest thing you know! I'd 'a' never screwed up
my courage to do it if you hadn't 'a' looked so kind
and gentle and sweet. I just knew you couldn't turn me
down----"

There was no mistaking the genuineness of the
apology for his presumption. She smiled a gracious
answer, and threw the last ugly suspicion to the winds.

He broke into a laugh and lifted his hand in the
sudden gesture of a traffic policeman commanding a
halt.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You know I was so excited I clean forgot to
introduce myself! What do you think o' that? You'll
excuse me, won't you? My name's Jim Anthony. I'm
sorry I can't give you any references to my folks. I
haven't any--I'm a lost sheep in New York--no father or
mother. That's why I'm so excited about this trip I'm
plannin' down South. I hear I've got some people down
there."

He stopped suddenly as if absorbed in the thought.
Her heart went out to him in sympathy for this
confession of his orphaned life.

"I'm Mary Adams," she smiled in answer. "I'm a
teacher in the public schools."