"With his whichever it is in a flutter, by some provoking accident down
comes my hair and tumbles over his shoulders."

Wilson regarded her with amused admiration.

"Five years ago," he observed placidly, "I should have thought you were
telling me half the truth to cover the other half, and were really
having a devilish flirtation with that cad."

Elsie flushed, and into her gay voice came a strain of seriousness.

"Five years are five years," she answered. "Don't go to dragging all
that up again, Chauncy."

His laugh was not untinged with malicious delight, but he put his hand
on hers and patted her fingers.

"All right, old girl. Bygones are bygones. But what in the world is all
this fooling with Rangely for?"

"Why, don't you see? The fool is sure to say something so silly that I
can snub him within an inch of his life. I've only been holding off
until he had that thing written for the Churchman. Now I've got that,
I'll settle him."

"Oh, the gratitude of women!"

"Why, it isn't that. He needn't be smirking at me the way he does. I
simply won't stand it. Besides, he makes eyes at me wherever I go, just
to advertise the fact that he's silly about me. He's a cad, through and