The Nevada County picayune., 1911-07-07

we II make the bear crowd sit upsand take notice"
 Right" assented Gallinger. He pen ciled memorandum or two on the back of an envelope and put it away, rising from his chair.
 Don't go," Reverdy told him. "sit down and have talk Cigar?"
 Thank you." consented Gallinger. "Trip do you good, Cliff" he asked, trimming the weed.
 Lots" Reverdy glanced at him sharply. I'm cured" he stated.
 Gallinger started.
 Cured? Eh, what? Oh, yes." He laughed awkwardly, vainly cudgeling his wits. Who was that girl, any way?"
 Reverdy swung aimlessly in his chair, knitting his fingers.
 Many changes?" he asked, careless ly. New faces in the Street?"
 "Oh, some," Gallinger told him. Nothing much-everything just about the same"
 This was unsatisfactory.
 At least" Reverdy laughed, uneas fly. T see that Bynum & Shackleford have a new stenographer."
 Gallinger looked, and, looking, real ized
 "Oh, by thunder! Helen Shackle ford!" he remembered suddenly Why, thats-I suppose so," he end ed, lamely. "Old Shacklefords dead you know" he blurted out.
 What" Reverdy faced him again
 "Yes-six months ago. Didn't you hear about it? Heart failure, I be- lieve-somethlng of the sort Left everything to his daughter, I'm told"
 ITO Helen, eh?" Reverdy's tone was as calm as he could have wished. And who's Bynum's partner now?" he ask cd.
 "Why-er-" Gallinger stammered -'I wonder if he doesn't recognize her? I don't want to rouse sleeping dogs." he disclaimed. mentally-"Why -er-some relative of old Shackle- fords, understand" he replied.
 And Gallinger was much relieved when Reverdy's opportune fit of mus ing afforded him the chance to get away without having to answer any more embarrassing questions.
 For that matter, Reverdy himself was glad to see the last of Ballinger- for that day, at least. He had learned from him that which he desired to know. And now he wanted to think.
 Reverdy did his thinking with his face to the window, his eyes upon Helen Shacklefords unconscious pro- file.
 ,te was musing soberly, cautiously casting back to the dear days that were dead-dead to them both; and he was testing his heart To his relief it was behaving itself, like the reliable, steady-going heart it should have been.
 On the morning of the third day however, came the inevitable. Rev erdy, hurrying in from the street, with his hat on the back of his head and a cigar in the corner of his mouth, all but trod blindly upon the train of a woman's skirt, as he entered the ele- vator: Great heavens!" he muttered, with swift intuition as the gate changed. Now there was no escape.
 Seven" he heard her tell the ele- vator boy; and Reverdy knew that her voice thrilled him through and through. He looked up unhappily, and caught her eye as it was shifted swift ly from him. He bowed-his hat all ready in his hand-and muttered some thing indefinite with tongue gone suddenly hot and dry and thick. She returned the salutation distantly.
 Reverdy felt the situation keenly He knew his face for a mirror of his emotions, and shuddered to think what an onlooker might deduce from his pit fable expression.
 And then he knew that he ought to speak. But what was he to say?
 Very suddenly his heart seemed to surge upward. and, for the instant. his tongue clove to the roof of his mouth The elevator paused in its upward flight, seemed to hesitate brief sec ond-and dropped like shot.
 His brain was working with incred- ible swiftness. If she could be sup ported, held up from the floor or the cage, her injuries might be less than if-He started toward her, of mind to catch her up in his arms.
 And then the air-cushion device be- gan to work. The car seemed tc strike upon an invisible obstacle to it's down. ward flight. It hesitated second time, bounced gi ally upward a few feet, fell again, bounced again, and came to a gradual stop in diminish ing series of dull heaves, resting final ly between the second and third floors.
 You're not hurt?" he cried. "Hel- en!"
 Thank you-no," she gasped, add ing more calmly: "Mr. Reverdy,"
 Their eyes met; they were safe now And then came the reaction. The girl laughed-a bit hysterically at first.