"Oh, Mr. Mason," she said, sympathetically, as she approached, "I am
so sorry anything has happened to trouble you, and I do hope I am not
intruding."

"Indeed, you are not, Miss Eva. In fact, your sympathy has taken away
half the trouble already, and I want to beg of you to help me off with
the other half."

A glance at his wife's face showed him that he had not made a bad
beginning.

"Miss Sommerton, you said you would like to kelp me. Now I am going to
appeal to you. I throw myself on your mercy."

There was a slight frown on Mrs. Mason's face, and her husband felt that
he was perhaps appealing too much.

"In fact, the truth is, my wife gave me----"

Here a cough interrupted him, and he paused and ran his hand through
his hair. "Pray don't mind me, Mr. Mason," said Miss Sommerton, "if you
would rather not tell----"

"Oh, but I must; that is, I want you to know."

He glanced at his wife, but there was no help there, so he plunged in
headlong.

"To tell the truth, there is a friend of mine who wants to go to the