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Show "It's absurd to feel hurt I haven't turned you down; I wish you wouldn't keep saying that I have. Why I I hardly know you," she added with a litt'.e angry laugh. Mickey turned away; he stood staring star-ing down Into the fire; neither of them apoke again till June returned. She carried a tray of cakes and hot toaat: she set it down with a thump on the round table by the fire. Now we're going to be cosy. Well, and how have you two been getting on? MJrkey. I've told Ksther so much about you. she's sick to death of the sound of your name." "I never said so," Esther protested quickly. She had taken off her coat now. He wondered if it waa the coat hla money had bought her; it waa not half good enough, anyway. He thought of the furs and expensive gloves which Marie Deland wore, and he longed to be able to give some to this little girl who sat there with such angry defiance In her eyes. He realized that this pride of hers was going to be the hardest barrier of all between them. "More tea?" June demanded across the tsble. and Mickey said. "Oh er yea. thanks." hurriedlv. Aa long aa the meal waa unfinished Ksther would have to atay In the room, he thought; ahe could not very well leave before; but In thla he waa mistaken, for Esther put her cup down almost at once and looked at June. "Will you think me very rude If I run away?" she asked. "I've got to see Mrs Riders and tell her I am staying stay-ing on I think ahe has been trying to let my room." June looked disappointed. "Oh. well, if you really must go." she said. "Come back when you've seen her." Thank you," said Ksther. She turned to Mickey, who hsd risen. "I i won't aay goodbye, then,' she said with an effort to speak lightly. He held open the door for her, and a moment later ahe had gone. As soon as he came back to his chair June rounded on him. "What have you said to annoy her?" She looked quite angry! "I wanted you to like each other. Really. Mickey, you are the limit! fine won't come back aagin, you see if she does.' "No," said Mickey. "I don't think she will." He laughed a lather tha- grined laugh. "1 haven't said any-I any-I thing as far as I know," he added. "It's what you've said. I fancy. You've fed her up with aceounta of what a wonderful person I am." "So you are," aaid June. He frowned. "1 came to tell you about Miss Hhep-stone. Hhep-stone. You asked me to get her a berth. ." June laughed. 'My dear boy. you're too late! She doean't want your help now. or mine, eltherfor that matter she added ruefully. rue-fully. "She's a lady of means that' wonderful man of her's. who's tucked up in Fsrls having the time of his life, is going to allow her three pounda a week." i Khe paused and looked at him expectantly. ex-pectantly. I "W, why don't you look surprised?" sur-prised?" she asked. j Mickey swallowed hard. j "I am surprised." he aald. "Too jolly surprised for anything. It's good j news, eh?" ! Mickey laughed to himself as he1 went down the stairs; be wondered if! he waa getting clever, or if June waa not so quick to see a thing as he had believed, that ahe had not noticed the constraint tietween himself and Ksther. He picked up a taxicab at the corner of the road and was driven back to his flat. . There were several letters lying on I one was standing at the communicating door. When she saw Ksther she came forward. for-ward. "I was hoping you would call. Miss Shepstone. Will you come into . my room ?" - Esther's heart leaped. She obeyed eagerly. I A lady was sitting at the table look-jing look-jing rather bored and irriluted. j She waa gray haired and handsome, and most beautifully dressed, she turned slightly when Esther entered, and stared at lier through her lorgnette, then she looked at the stiff and stately one. "Is th!s er the young lady?" she asked. "Yea madam this is Miss Shepstone." Shep-stone." The stately one introduced j Esther with a wave of her hand. "This lladjv Miss. Shepstone is looking for a I companion. Some one who can work I we,, and read aloud." She looked at Ksther sharply. "Can you read aloud?" ( she asked. I Esther stanimpreT ounhaT-she sup posed she could, but . . ." I "That Is a minor detail." the lady i with the lorgnette interrupted. "Miss Shepstone. -1 am not want'ng a com-ipanion com-ipanion In the ordinary sense of the ( word. That is to say, I do not want 'her to be constantly with me. You will have your own bedroom and alt-ting alt-ting room and I ahall only want you at certain hours of the day. You will write letters for me snd make yourself generally useful." (the paused ; ahe searched the girl's eager face through her glaases. "How old are yoti?" she asked. "Twenty-four," said Esther. "Humph! And what have you done up till now?" Eather flushed. , "I was in the workroom at Eldred's. i The manager has promised to give me a reference, but " "Eldred's!" the sharp gaxe wavered a little. And why did you leave there, may I ask?" "I left to get married, but " "But you are not married, of course." "No." "Nor going to be?" "Not for the present, but " She was cut short again. "I don't want to get used to you and to get you used to my ways and then for you to leave me." she waa told. "And I don't witr.t a young man con-'stantly con-'stantly dangling around the house." Her voice was sharp, but not unkind, and there was a smile In her keen eyes. "No." said Esther. "I quite understand." under-stand." r . j There was k little ei'.ence. j "Well." said the owner of the lorg-! nette then, "what do you think about i it? Do you think you would like to come? Do you think you would like roe?" Esther smiled: there wss something In this blunt questioning that reminded remind-ed her of June Mason. "Yea" she said. "I think I should, but " "I hate that word." she was . told promptly. "I don't want there to be any 'buts' in the question. You either' wish to come or you do not. I will give you pounds a year, and yuur keep, of course. It's toe much for an! inexperienced girl like you. but I think I ahall rather like you. Well, what do you say?" the table: he flicked them through die-Interestedly: die-Interestedly: then he stopped the last one was from Ashton, Mickey stood for quite a minute staring down at the handwriting, which he had been at such pains to copy. Then he ripped open the envelope. Ashton wrote from Paris: "Dear Mickey Just a line to send you my address, as promised. Hope things are going well with you. I am staying on here for the present, as I I have run up against Maisie Clare you I remember her. Tubby Clare's little I widow? My son, she's got pots of! money, and at the present moment things are looking promising! The ! mater would be pleased if I could man-I man-I age to pull it off. By the way, I dare say Driver told you I met him the other day he was very mysterloua and hadn't a word to say! Surely he t wasn't Joy riding over here by himself? Remember me to everyone. Yours. "R. K. -ASHTON." I And not one word shout Esther! Not a single mention of the girl who wss' thinking of him night and day, and only living to see him again. Mickey crushed the letter and tossed It into the fire. That settled it. hej told himself: he no longer had the; slightest compunction in cutting Ashton Ash-ton out: the fellow was not worth a moment's consideration. CHAPTER VIII. Esther climbed the stairs of the agency again the following morning. Esther did not know what to say. The offer was tempting enough, but she thought of June Mason and the room with the mauve cushions where she wss settling down so happily, and her heart sank. "I -should like to think it over." ahe said, etammering. "I have a friend 1 1 should like to talk.it over with if you Idon't mind. If you wi!l give me just a day or two ..." "Take a week by all means. I am going away myeelf for a few days, j and I shan't want you till I come bark. Write me and tell me what you decide de-cide to do. Here is my card . . " She look one from & heavj sliver case and There was a little feeling of despondency despond-ency In her heart. She had slept badly, and ahe had not been able to forget what June had said about Ashton. Eather was Influenced by June's "ln-Incts." "ln-Incts." aa ahe chose to call them; she knew It waa foolish, but the fact remained all the same. When she opened the waiting room door ahe felt half Inclined to turn and go away again. She would only meet with the same answer: "Nothing that will eult you today. Miss Shepstone." j But for a wonder the room was almost al-most empty, and the tall and atalelv |