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"What do they call it, then?" asked Plank seriously

"Call what? you great boy!"

"What you say I'hed, leaned back in her big, padded chair, dropping one knee over the other Her dark eyes with the Japanese slant to thely on Plank, who had now turned co his half-written cheque on her escritoire behind him

"You're simply credited with an affair with a pretty wo to his temples, "and that is certain to be useful to you, and it doesn't affectabout?" And as he said nothing, she added, with a daring little laugh: "You are credited with being very agreeable, you see"

"If--if that's the way you take it--" he began

"Of course! What do you expect me to do--call for help before I'ossip--doesn't hurt?"

"How silly!" She looked at hi "You kno likely I am to require protection froan plaiting with her fingers the silken gown over her knee "Or how likely I would be to shriek for it even if"--she looked up with childlike directness--"even if I needed it"

"Of course you can take care of yourself," said Plank, wincing

"I could, if I wanted to"

"Everybody knows that I know it, Leroy knows it; only I don't care to figure as that kind of ht of her position in the h

"Tihted a cigarette fro her knees the other way

He considered her, started to speak, checked hiain His pen hovered over the space to be filled in He tried to recollect the anature, still trying to reet the exact aarette, but et the amount," he repeated

"So do I," she nodded indolently

"But I--"

"Let it go Besides, I shall not accept it"

He flushed up, astonished "You can't refuse to take a ga debt"

"I do," she retorted coolly "I' yourit It is all I ever do win … from you"

Her pretty head reathed in s the