" She is somewhat uncanny," said he, with a light-
ness he was far from feeling. " But, dear — ^it isn't com-
plimentary to me, is it?"

" Forgive me, dearest — I don't mean that. I
couldn't mean that. But — ^I love you so. Ever since I
began to love you I've been looking round for some-
thing to be afraid of. And this is the first chance
you've given me."



«



Fve giyea you ! " mocked he.
88



THE GRAIN OF DUST



She laughed hysterically. ^^ I mean the first chance
IVe had. And I'm doing the best I can with it."

They were in good spirits now, and for the rest of
the evening were as loverlike as always, the nearer to-
gether for the bit of rough sea they had weathered so
nicely. Neither spoke of Miss Hallowell. Each had
privately resolved never to speak of her to the other
again. Josephine was already regretting the frankness
that had led her to expose a not too attractive part of
herself — ^and to exaggerate in his eyes the importance
of a really insignificant chit of a typewriter. When he
went to bed that night he was resolved to have Tetlow
find Miss Hallowell a job in another oflSce.
" She certainly is uncanny,'' he said to himself. " I
wonder why — ^I wonder what the secret of her is. She's
the first woman I ever ran across who had a real secret.
