"Naturally I wanted to help him all I could, to appear, at least, to be
interested, especially when he was paying so much for it! It was only a
business arrangement anyway," she continued bitterly, "nothing but
business from start to finish, and if he doesn't know that yet, he'll
find it out the very first thing tomorrow morning!"

And having tumbled into bed she lay staring into the dark, planning the
details of a campaign warranted either to cure or kill the enemy.
Outside, a mocking bird, perched provokingly near her window, kept the
night ringing with music. Resolutely she closed her ears to his song.
But presently, through the faint fragrance of oleanders, other sounds
began to penetrate, - the strains of the waltz to which they had danced
only the night before. The little art teacher turned wearily over and
cried herself to sleep.

On the morning which followed she rose very early, however, much too
early to breakfast with Blair at the little table in the sunny corner.
Instead, she ordered some coffee and toast at Jim's Waffle Shop in the
village and was hard at work sketching on the wharf before eight
o'clock. She had suddenly remembered a promise to sketch Capt. Warren's
dog holding the gaff, a feat of which both Pal and his master were
justifiably proud. Indeed, so long had the arrangement been made and so
entirely had it been neglected, that no one was more surprised than the
Captain himself at her unexpected appearance.

"But Pal and me ought to be at the Tuna Club in fifteen minutes, to take
a party o' members out fishin'," he demurred. "You can't paint Pal in no
quarter of an hour!"

"I'm sorry to have had to put it off so long," replied Miss Hastings