"Certainly. And the answer? Shall we telephone it out to you?"

"No. We'll be in Crawfordsville, and--Wait a moment." To Miss
Crawford: "We may stay here until evening?"

"Oh, you must. It is too hot now to think of riding."

"Thank you." And then into the receiver: "If you should get an answer
before seven o'clock, please telephone it to me here."

Then the three went out to the front porch. They found chairs in the
shade where a welcome little breeze made for cool comfort. Miss
Crawford sat with the men, answering their questions about that wild
country, chatting with them. And there, at her invitation, they sat
and smoked when she left them and went into the house.

"A charming girl," Hapgood was moved to say enthusiastically. "Really
a charming girl! Who would have thought to find her out here? And say,
Greek"--being confidentially nearer--"her old man must be tremendously
rich, eh? You don't need to think of such things, of course, but take
me--" He paused, and then continued, thoughtfully: "Sooner or later,
old man, it's got to come to one end for Roger Hapgood. And, do you
know, I'm half in love with her already?"

His verbal enthusiasm in no way imparted itself to young Conniston. So
Roger puffed complacently at his cigarette in thoughtful silence,
rather more than usually well pleased with himself.

The late afternoon drew on, and the girl had not returned to them.
Conniston looked at his watch and saw that it was half-past five. They