The Nevada County picayune., 1911-07-07
The attendant eyed him with calm

scorn; ReVerdy was nobody to him.
 "'Tain't my fault" he disclaimed, sullenly, "Youse better take it easy. Mebbe they won't let us down fer haffn-hour."
 "Oh, good Lord!" Reverdy groaned. Hes right" he told the girl. Its neither his fault nor-mine. I'm sorry"
 Don't be sorry" She smiled be- wilderingly upon him. Tt can't be helped. Only it's too bad that we are both to be delayed in getting to our offices"
 "I-I-" he stammered, becoming aware of her mourning gown and re- membering in which memory she wore it. T heard only day before yesterday of your loss, Miss Shackleford-and -
 She bowed her head, the merriment dying from her eyes.
 Thank you" she murmured; "I un- derstand."
 There came an awkward, tense si, lence
 You have been away?" she asked, graciously helping him to extricate himself from what seemed hopeless embarrassment.
 "Yes-Florida-for year." he fioun- dered. Eve a shooting box in the Everglades, you know. And you?'
 "Oh, I've taken up the brokers bur den." she told him, lightly. T am now fha xfH Nf Q H. leford."
 Bynum's partner! Reverdy was fairly staggered. He had not suspect ed that, even in his widest imaginings. Bynum's partner. And Bynum was one of the most interruptions black guards in the Street!
 In an instant he had guessed the ac- tual situation. The girl had been thrown upon her own resources with few beggarly thousands-fifty or sixty at the most; for old John Shack. leford, her father. had been himself a man of such admirable probity and endowed with so generous belief in his fellow man that he had never for an instant dreamed of the smooth ras. cality of his partner.
 And then-oh, it was very easy to see through Bypum's sneaking ways! -coveting her inheritance, the swin. dler had approached the girl with his spacious offer of q continued partner ship in the commission business-a partnership between a girl innocent of the wiles of the Street and a scoundrel deep-mired in it's filthiest slime. Nat. urally, in time he would find a way to fleece her of her little patrimony! Reverdy's soul was faint with dis gust at the prospect. And he looked boldly into her eyes seeing therein the ineradieable marks of anxiety, of sorrow and of suffering He guessed that even then she might be widening to suspicion of Bynum S baseness; and Reverdy's sole thought was concerning the way by which he might aid her, rescue her fortune-il Bynum had left her a shred of that
 T didn't know it." he confessed | quickly. But I'm glad to hear it. The new firm prospers, l trust? Possibly bo dOlO lo tllOW q ilktlC buSl ness In your way
 Why" she began, formulating 8 courteous refusal, I'm sure you are very kind, MT. Reverdy. but" But the elevator was on Reverdy's side, that morning. In the middle oi tom of the shaft and the starter open ed the gates to release them. They stepped out and into another car, Rev erdy tactfully changing the subject so that she was unable to conclude heI declination.
 q suppose made damned ass oi myself" be groaned, when he had TUT the gantlet of the yellow-haired ste nographer's fine. rolling eyes, and the office boys beady, inquisitive start and was at length alone in his private office.
 He glowered moodily across the air shaft
 The girl was at her desk, talking with Bynum. Bynum was leaning over her with exaggerated deference A fine figure of man he was-By num-a man to fill woman's eye, Rev erdy fancied, for all his smooth. oily ways.
 Poor girl." he said aloud. "Ol course she doesn't imagine-!" He pulled his desk chair savagely out oi her radius of vision and pumped him self into 1t, burying his hot face in his hands. "Ah, Helen. Helen!" cried Young Reverdy.
 Thus glooming, Gallinger found him an hour later; and before Gallingel could open his mouth. Rcverdy hat snapped question at him.
 Whats Bynum up to now. Gallin ger? Still at the old dodges?" Gallinger sat down. astonished al the abruptness of the query, but alive as to what brought it forth, "Oh, about the same" he said |, tho Ctraat knpwa to .